Mandatory Deposit-refund System and Store Collection with RVM: The Case of Japan and China from the Historical Institutional Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the mandatory deposit-refund system and to consider a case study of in-store collection of PET using RVM in Japan and China from a historical institutional perspective. The mandatory deposit-refund system has been in place from the 1970s to the present, mainly in Europe and North America. The introduction of the system is gradually spreading. This is due to the fact that the European Commission and European Parliament, where environmental interests are strongly represented, and institutionally embedded NGOs have used their influence. Social learning of the experiences of Scandinavian countries is also progressing. In Japan, there was a debate in the 1990s, but the introduction of the system was rejected due to the strong centralization of power and the strength of producers. Since then, there has been virtually no political process for the introduction of the system. Against this backdrop, in recent years, both Japan and China have begun to introduce store collections with RVM. In Japan, there are high burdens on retailers and non-smooth collaboration of store collection with municipal collection, while in China, high burdens on RVM manufacturers, dependence on subsidies and competition with scavengers are a challenge.