From Next Year, Products and Packaging Marked with 'Dopo·Cheophap' Must Be Disposed of in Volume-Based Waste Bags

Ministry of Environment Issues Administrative Notice on Partial Amendment to 'Guidelines for Separate Waste Disposal Labeling'

'Coating and Lamination Markings' with Additional Separate Disposal Labels Starting Next Year

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Starting next year, if plastic is mixed with other materials such as metal or coated (coating) or laminated (bonded together), making recycling difficult, a 'coating·lamination' label must be applied. Products and packaging with this label must be disposed of in general volume-based waste bags or with disposal stickers attached.

The Ministry of Environment announced on the 23rd that it will publicly notify for 20 days starting from the 24th a partial amendment to the "Guidelines on Separate Disposal Labeling" containing these details.

First, the amendment adds a coating·lamination label to the existing separate disposal labels when the body made of plastic, etc., is mixed with other materials such as metal or coated or laminated, making separation impossible and recycling difficult. Examples include sterilized paper packs laminated with aluminum, insecticide sprays with inseparable valves attached, and pumping containers using metal springs.

Also, with the enforcement of separate disposal of transparent PET bottles and the ban on the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging materials, the separate disposal label text changes from 'PET' to 'Transparent PET', and 'PVC' is removed from the plastic and vinyl material labels.

For biomass synthetic resin products that have the same physical and chemical properties as existing plastic and vinyl material labels such as 'HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)', 'LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)', 'PP (Polypropylene)', and 'PS (Polystyrene)', and are generally recyclable, they can be labeled as ▲Bio HDPE ▲Bio LDPE ▲Bio PP ▲Bio PS respectively.

Along with this, the Ministry of Environment will also publicly notify a partial amendment to the "Packaging Material·Structure Grade Labeling Standards" during the same period. The amendment includes provisions that if a producer has its own packaging material collection system and the Minister of Environment recognizes that it can meet collection rate targets of 15% by 2023, 30% by 2025, and 70% by 2030, the 'difficult to recycle' grade label may not be applied.

This amendment to the separate disposal labeling notice will take effect from January 1, 2022. To reduce the burden on the industry, the Ministry of Environment will allow both the existing and revised designs until 2023 and plans to finalize the amendment after broadly collecting opinions case by case through this public notice.

Hong Dong-gon, Director of the Resource Circulation Policy Division at the Ministry of Environment, said, "To reduce sorting costs of recyclables and improve the quality of recycled raw materials, proper separate disposal from the disposal stage is necessary. This amendment to the separate disposal labeling aims to facilitate correct separate disposal and enhance the efficiency of the recycling system. We will comprehensively gather public opinions through this public notice to improve the effectiveness of the system."

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