The role of the national recycling utility in the Korean economy

As the Korean national economy has continued to grow and the industrial structure has become increasingly advanced, the amount of wastes being generated is rapidly on the rise. Recycling to cope with the environmental problems caused by wastes has become an increasingly important policy issue in developing countries such as Korea, as well as in developed countries. To provide policy-makers with practical and responsible analysis regarding the role of the national recycling utility in the economy, this study employed input-output (I-O) analysis with specific application to Korea. The major goal was the development of a static I-O framework for examining the role of the national recycling utility in the short run. The second goal was to obtain at least a preliminary indication of the role of the national recycling utility. This paper also discusses the role of a public firm that was established with an objective of promoting and facilitating the reuse of recyclable wastes. The overall results indicate that the national recycling utility may have a significant influence on the standard of living and industrial production.