Law 20.920

Chile's Law 20.920 establishes a comprehensive framework for waste management in Chile through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). While legislation was passed in 2016, practical implementation through regulations and enforcement only began in 2023, when the first mandatory collection targets came into force for packaging materials. The law represents Chile's first mandatory EPR system and aims to align waste management practices with OECD standards while promoting recycling and circular economy principles. 

The legislation targets six priority products: lubricating oils, electrical/electronic equipment, batteries, packaging, tires, and batteries. The law introduces a hierarchical approach to waste management, prioritising prevention, reuse, recycling and energy recovery over disposal. 
Key aspects include: 

• producers must register, organise and finance collection/treatment systems through individual or collective management schemes; 
• specific collection and recycling targets are set by product category; and 
• producers must meet associated obligations like consumer information and eco-design requirements. 

The law promotes inclusion of informal waste collectors ("recicladores de base") by requiring their certification and integration into formal management systems. 

Moreover, Article 8 specifically addresses waste imports/exports, stating that these must comply with the Basel Convention. The law also:

• Prohibits on imports of hazardous waste for disposal
• Allows imports of hazardous waste for recycling only if authorised by Ministry of Environment and handled by authorized waste managers
• Requires importers/exporters to report type, quantity, origin and treatment of waste through the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register
• Gives Ministry power to deny import/export authorisations if there's evidence waste won't be managed in an environmentally sound manner
• Requires a decree to establish requirements and procedures for waste import/export/transit authorisations, including associated guarantees

Enforcement responsibilities are shared between the Ministry of Environment, which sets targets and approves management systems, and the Superintendence of Environment, which oversees compliance and can impose sanctions for violations.