Korea is requiring drinks companies use recycled plastic in their bottles — but is it safe?
Publish date: 2025-09-17
The South Korean government decided at a Cabinet meeting to require bottled water and nonalcoholic beverage producers to use recycled plastic in packaging starting in 2026, the Ministry of Environment said.
According to the Environment Ministry, the new law requires that at least 10 percent of the polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, used in bottles comes from recycled sources. The legislation covers bottled water and nonalcoholic beverage producers that use more than 5,000 metric tons of PET bottles each year.
“The European Union and Germany currently aim to raise the mandatory recycled content in PET bottles to 30 percent by 2030, while the United Kingdom plans to reach the same target by 2026,” the ministry said through a press release.
By 2030, the ministry also aims to raise the recycled content requirement to 30 percent from its current 10 percent.
According to the Environment Ministry, the new law requires that at least 10 percent of the polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, used in bottles comes from recycled sources. The legislation covers bottled water and nonalcoholic beverage producers that use more than 5,000 metric tons of PET bottles each year.
“The European Union and Germany currently aim to raise the mandatory recycled content in PET bottles to 30 percent by 2030, while the United Kingdom plans to reach the same target by 2026,” the ministry said through a press release.
By 2030, the ministry also aims to raise the recycled content requirement to 30 percent from its current 10 percent.
Source: The Korea Herald
