Amendments to the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources (henceforth referred to as the Act) were promulgated by the South Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE) on March 25, 2025, with an effective date of September 26, 2025.

Promoting the usage of recycled plastics is the goal of the modifications. Below is a summary of the main changes:

Mandatory use of recycled plastic materials

The Act requires certain product and container producers, including brand owners who commission production under their own brand, to include a particular amount of recycled plastic in their products and containers in order to improve plastic recycling operations. Future announcements will outline the needed usage percentages, reporting requirements, suggested objective, breadth of applicable materials, and other specifics.

Stricter requirements for indicating the recycled material usage ratio

According to the Act, companies who want to mark the recycled material usage ratio on their goods or containers must get the authority’s confirmation. This data can only be displayed by verified businesses.

Furthermore, companies that want to renew their verification must do so within three years after the first verification or, if they have already renewed, within five years of the most recent verification. 

Draft amendments in subordinate regulations

In order to comply with these updates, MOE proposed amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Act (MOE Notice No. 2025-256), which stipulate that manufacturers who produce 5,000 tons or more of PET bottles per year for use as packaging for bottled water and non-alcoholic beverages are subject to the requirement to use recycled plastic. Additionally, MOE suggested giving the Korea Environment Corporation control over the use of recycled materials, including identifying responsible parties, overseeing implementation, and confirming the percentage of recycled material consumption.

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