Consumer Agency: "Paper Tape Must Also Be Removed from Boxes Before Separate Disposal"

Unsubstantiated Eco-Friendly Labels and Advertising 'Require Caution'

Results of inspection for violations of environmental labeling and advertising. (Photo by Consumer Agency)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] A survey found that most eco-friendly paper tape products distributed in the market provide incorrect instructions for separate disposal or use environmentally friendly expressions without basis.

On the 27th, the Korea Consumer Agency announced that it conducted an investigation on 25 paper tape products with environmental labeling and advertising in collaboration with the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, revealing these findings. Guidelines for separate collection of recyclable resources stipulate that when disposing of corrugated cardboard or paper types, they should not be mixed with other paper types, and coated paper or paper contaminated with foreign substances should be removed.

Upon examining the separate disposal instructions of the 25 paper tape products, 19 products (76%) provided incorrect methods in their online advertisements, such as "recyclable while attached to the box" or "recyclable as decomposable paper." Paper tape is coated with a release agent and adhesive on both sides, which does not dissolve in water during recycling and remains as foreign material, potentially reducing recycling efficiency.

The Consumer Agency tested the alkaline hydrolysis and dispersibility to confirm the possibility of paper tape remaining as foreign material during recycling, finding that 22 products (88%) lacked hydrolysis properties, making recycling difficult. Regarding heavy metal content, which complicates packaging material recycling, none of the 25 products tested detected heavy metals, indicating compliance with recommended standards.

The Environmental Institute compared the environmental labeling and advertising content of the 25 products with empirical data and found that all products used expressions such as eco-friendly or harmless to humans in online advertisements without clear evidence. Claiming 100% recyclability or eco-friendly paper simply because paper is used constitutes greenwashing, promoting products as eco-friendly when they are not.

The Consumer Agency recommended that the relevant businesses improve unfair advertising and labeling. The Environmental Institute requested administrative action from the Ministry of Environment against businesses that engaged in unfair environmental labeling and advertising, and plans to monitor the status of environmental labeling and advertising for paper tapes distributed and sold beyond the investigated products.

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