Packaging and Delivery Industry to Reduce Plastic Usage by Up to 20%... MOU with Ministry of Environment

Recyclable waste such as packaging boxes is piled up at a recycling station in an apartment complex in Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The packaging and delivery industry has pledged to reduce the use of plastics in disposable food containers by up to 20%.

On the 29th, the Ministry of Environment held a 'Voluntary Agreement Ceremony for Reducing Plastic Usage in Packaging and Delivery' at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, together with the Korea Plastic Packaging Container Association, Korea Franchise Association, Baedal Minjok, and the Resource Circulation Social Solidarity.

Attending the ceremony were Hong Jeong-gi, Vice Minister of Environment; Seok Yong-chan, President of the Korea Plastic Packaging Container Association; Kim Beom-jun, CEO of Baedal Minjok; Kang Seok-woo, Executive Vice President of the Korea Franchise Association; and Kim Mi-hwa, Chairperson of the Resource Circulation Social Solidarity.

The participants agreed to reduce plastic usage in packaging and delivery containers by up to 20%. They plan to fundamentally reduce plastic use by standardizing container sizes and reducing thickness to promote lightweighting.

In particular, they decided to unify materials to make recycling of packaging and delivery containers easier and to avoid printing on surfaces. A certification system for packaging and delivery containers that are easy to recycle will also be introduced within this year.

They plan to foster an eco-friendly consumption culture by leaving the use of disposable plastic utensils (spoons, forks, knives, etc.) to consumer choice, aiming to reduce the frequency of provision, and by actively guiding businesses to use reusable containers.

Vice Minister Hong said, "Plastic waste takes 5 seconds to produce, 5 minutes to use, and 500 years to decompose, so all members of society must actively participate in reducing it," adding, "This agreement will serve as an opportunity for the packaging and delivery industry to fulfill its role as a member of a resource-circulating society."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.