From now on, bottled water and beverage businesses that use more than 5,000 tons of PET bottles a year must use recycled plastic material when making colorless PET bottles.
The Ministry of Environment said on the 16th that a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources was approved at a Cabinet meeting. The effective date is Jan. 1 next year.
With this approval, manufacturers of bottled water and nonalcoholic beverages that use more than 5,000 tons of PET bottles annually will be subject to the newly established mandatory use of recycled plastic materials.
The mandatory use system for recycled plastic materials requires the use of recycled plastic at or above a set rate. Next year's mandatory recycled content rate will be 10% under the Notice on the Mandatory Use of Recycled Plastic Materials.
In line with international trends, the Ministry of Environment will expand the targets subject to mandatory recycled content to companies that use more than 1,000 tons annually by 2030. It will also raise the mandate rate from 10% to 30%.
The Ministry of Environment will certify the recycling process, including collection, sorting, and recycling, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will certify safety when the material is used for food containers. Only certified recycled materials may be used to produce colorless PET bottles.
Kim Go-eung, director general of the Resource Circulation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, said, "The mandatory use system for recycled materials is one of the most critical systems for moving toward a circular economy," adding, "Starting with colorless PET bottles, we will expand to more materials and items going forward."