Recycling duties increase for consumers and businesses in Costa Rica

By zone_admin | 24 de May de 2022 | Blog

Recently, Law 10031 entered into force, which modified the General Law for Comprehensive Waste Management (LGIR), expanding the recycling duties of the population in general and of companies that produce goods whose recycling is determined as a priority. Let us remember that according to the LGIR, the application of the 3 R scheme (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) is mandatory for the entire population, since article 43 of the Law establishes that it is the duty of every person or company:
  • Reduce waste generation whenever possible.
  • Separate waste from its source, classify it and deliver it to an authorized manager. In the case of domestic waste, it must be delivered to the Municipality, also separately for recovery.
Under the new reform, these duties are reinforced through the new article 24, which establishes that all potentially recoverable waste must be used for that purpose. In particular, the new text of the Law creates the classification of "priority products" and establishes that the producers of these must guarantee the collection of the waste generated from them, free of charge and without the collection depending on the purchase of another product. According to the Law, the priority products are:
  • a) Lubricating oils.
  • b) Electrical and electronic devices.
  • c) Batteries.
  • d) Tires.
  • e) batteries.
For their part, consumers of this type of product have the duty to separate priority waste from all other waste and deliver it to the places designated by the municipalities or their producers. The practical application of this type of duties entails various challenges, but for this the Law provides for the possibility of adopting economic mechanisms such as deposit and reimbursement systems or collection schemes for waste collection services based on the generation of each person, which they can serve as economic incentives for recycling. Finally, it should be noted that the correct management of waste is of vital importance for the conservation of ecosystems, the fight against climate change and even the implementation of a circular economy where the production costs of goods and services are reduced by use waste as raw material.