South Korea to Require 10% Recycled Plastic in Major Beverage Brands' Bottles From 2026

A new requirement for the biggest bottlers

South Korea will require major bottled water and nonalcoholic beverage producers to use at least 10 percent recycled plastic in their PET bottles from January 1, 2026. About ten companies will initially fall under the rule, including Coca Cola Korea, Lotte Chilsung Beverage and Jeju Development Corp, which produces Samdasoo mineral water.

The requirement applies to producers that use more than 5,000 metric tons of PET bottles a year. Authorities expect the change to drive the use of about 20,000 tons of recycled plastic annually by bottled water and beverage makers, creating a stronger market for material recovered from used bottles.

PET is the clear, lightweight plastic used for most beverage bottles. Recycled PET, often shortened to rPET, comes from used bottles that are collected, cleaned and converted into plastic pellets for new containers. Under the new minimum, at least one tenth of the plastic in each eligible bottle must come from recycled sources instead of newly produced resin.

The Environment Ministry plans to increase the minimum to 30 percent by 2030 and extend the requirement to producers using more than 1,000 tons of PET bottles a year. The first stage therefore concentrates on the largest users, with a broader group of companies expected to follow.

Officials say the policy will reduce plastic waste, lower the carbon footprint of packaging and lessen dependence on virgin resin, the newly produced plastic used to make bottles. For beverage companies, it will turn recycled content from a voluntary packaging goal into a binding requirement supported by safety and testing standards.

Shoppers are unlikely to see a dramatic change when the rule begins. The larger shift will take place in the supply chain, where bottlers will need dependable supplies of recycled plastic suitable for direct contact with drinks.

Why beverage makers are being brought into the system

South Korea previously placed recycled content obligations on PET resin makers while exempting beverage companies. That left a gap between collecting used bottles and creating demand from the businesses that could turn the recovered material back into drink containers.

The reform, an amendment to rules under the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources, addresses that gap by placing duties on major bottlers. Collecting a bottle is only one part of recycling. A bottle can return to beverage packaging only if processors can produce suitable material and bottlers are willing or required to buy it.

Raw material makers also have a requirement. PET resin producers making more than 10,000 tons a year must include at least 3 percent recycled feedstock in their output. Feedstock means the material entering a manufacturing process, in this case recovered plastic used to make resin.

The two obligations operate at different points in production. Resin makers must incorporate recovered material into their output, while covered beverage producers must meet the recycled content minimum in their bottles. Together, the measures are intended to connect collection and recycling more closely to demand for new packaging.

The timetable from 2026 to 2030

January 1, 2026 is the start date for the 10 percent minimum covering companies above the threshold of 5,000 tons. Roughly ten large bottlers currently qualify, including domestic and international brands with a major presence in bottled water and soft drinks.

The ministry intends to widen coverage in the coming years to producers using more than 1,000 tons annually. No specific starting date has been given for that expansion. The planned increase to 30 percent recycled content has a stated target year of 2030.

• April 2023: Seoul's bottled tap water brand, Arisu, switched to containers using recycled material.
• January 1, 2026: The 10 percent minimum begins for bottled water and nonalcoholic beverage producers using more than 5,000 metric tons of PET bottles annually.
• In the coming years: The ministry plans to extend coverage to producers using more than 1,000 tons annually.
• By 2030: The minimum recycled content is scheduled to reach 30 percent.

Arisu provides an example of recycled plastic already being used for drinking water packaging in Korea. The national requirement will bring that approach to a wider commercial market, backed by mandatory thresholds.

How a used bottle becomes a new one

Bottle to bottle recycling begins with collection and sorting. Used PET bottles must be separated from unwanted materials before they can become packaging suitable for beverages. The bottles are washed, labels and caps are removed, and the cleaned plastic is shredded into small flakes.

The flakes then undergo intensive cleaning and treatment at high temperatures to remove contaminants. The plastic is melted again and formed into pellets, which manufacturers can use to produce new bottles. Each stage helps turn a mixed stream of discarded packaging into a more consistent raw material.

Before the pellets become drink containers, producers carry out migration and quality tests. Migration testing checks whether harmful substances could move from the plastic into a beverage during normal storage and use. Korean authorities have set out process steps and testing criteria so recyclers and bottlers work to the same food safety standard.

Mechanical recycling, the route described above, preserves PET's polymer structure. A polymer is the material's chain of linked chemical units. Chemical recycling takes a different route, breaking PET into its basic building blocks before those components are made into plastic again. That process can produce material comparable to virgin resin.

Mechanical recycling is currently the main route for food grade recycled PET in many markets because the technology is established and can be cost effective when clean material is available. Food grade means the material is suitable for use in packaging that comes into contact with food or drinks.

Sorting quality affects how much usable plastic emerges from the process. Colorless bottles without full shrink sleeves are easier to identify and separate accurately, increasing the amount of clean flakes recovered. Korea has encouraged beverage packaging that is easier to recycle, including colorless PET and labels that can be removed easily.

What the safety checks cover

Food safety has been the main concern slowing the use of old bottles to make new beverage containers. Beverage companies have raised concerns about chemicals moving into drinks, unwanted tastes or odors, and changes in the clarity of the finished bottle.

Government research in Korea concluded that bottles made with recycled PET meet safety thresholds when the material is processed under the prescribed recycling standards and checked through migration tests. The Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety have drawn up standards governing this use.

Officials also reported that recycled PET from colored bottles can be used safely after sufficient decontamination. Bottles made with that material may not always look completely transparent. Appearance is therefore one of the quality characteristics producers will need to manage alongside the safety checks.

The Korean findings follow international practice in which regulators require recyclers to demonstrate that their processes remove potential contaminants to levels that provide a large safety margin. Bottlers then test the final containers with the drinks they intend to sell and monitor production.

Consumers may notice a slight difference in clarity in some packages. Taste and odor should meet brand specifications when suppliers provide certified food grade material and bottlers apply their normal quality controls. Drinks remain subject to the same safety and quality requirements regardless of the proportion of recycled plastic in their bottles.

Securing enough suitable recycled plastic

Beverage producers will need recycled pellets in sufficient quantities, at consistent quality and at a workable price. Those needs reach back through the recycling chain, from pellet production to sorting facilities and the way households separate their bottles.

Korea already collects a large share of PET bottles. Building a stronger bottle to bottle market means directing more of that material into food grade recycling instead of uses such as fiber. High collection levels must be matched by clean sorting and processing that can meet beverage packaging requirements.

Producers will need verifiable records of recycled content use, clear supplier contracts for food grade pellets and quality checks when material arrives. Brands with existing packaging sustainability programs will have to connect those activities to the legal minimums.

Recycled PET can cost more than virgin resin when supplies are tight. That premium could raise packaging costs for some products. Cost pressure tends to ease as recycling capacity grows and suppliers and bottlers agree on contracts covering longer periods, with stable volumes and material specifications.

The planned rise to 30 percent by 2030 gives companies a larger future requirement to prepare for. Investment in recycling capacity, consistent quality and dependable supply will shape how smoothly producers can move from the first minimum to the higher target.

Why labels and caps matter

Bottle design can make recycling easier or more difficult before a container ever reaches a sorting facility. Colorless plastic, sleeves that are easy to remove and closures compatible with recycling simplify sorting and increase the amount of usable material recovered.

Many companies are also exploring bottles without labels. Equipment makers have introduced systems that print required production codes and QR codes directly onto caps, reducing the need for separate label materials while preserving product information.

Several Korean manufacturers have begun adopting direct printing on caps to support packaging with fewer label materials while keeping production lines running at high speed. The change links two practical concerns for bottlers: making containers easier to recycle and maintaining efficient manufacturing.

Labels may continue to change as producers adjust their packaging. Some could become easier to remove, while others may be replaced by information printed on caps. These design choices support the supply of cleaner recovered plastic needed for the recycled content requirement.

How Korea fits into wider packaging reforms

South Korea's planned 30 percent minimum by 2030 matches the European Union's recycled content target for PET bottles, which Germany is following. The United Kingdom plans to reach 30 percent by 2026. Korea's program is intended to build recycling capacity and confidence in food grade material as its requirement increases.

Other Asian countries are pursuing packaging reforms through different measures. India has updated its plastic waste rules to require traceability on packaging through barcodes or QR codes from 2025. The change is intended to make it easier to monitor producer responsibility obligations, which assign companies duties for the packaging they put into use.

Thailand has banned imports of plastic waste starting in 2025 to reduce pollution associated with foreign scrap. Hanoi's plan phases out single use plastic items across tourism and retail by 2028. In Bali, the provincial administration is moving to restrict small plastic sachets after earlier bottle rules.

These policies address different parts of the waste problem. Recycled content requirements create demand for recovered material, traceability helps monitor producers, and restrictions on imports or disposable items address particular waste streams. Their shared aims are to reduce plastic leakage, strengthen reuse and recycling systems, and make producers responsible for the full life of their packaging.

What households and businesses can expect next

Consumers in Korea are likely to encounter familiar drinks in bottles that look much as they do now. Some containers may be slightly less clear, and label designs may change. The drink inside should taste the same because bottlers must continue to meet their safety and quality standards.

Households can help preserve the quality of recovered PET by emptying bottles and placing them in the correct recycling stream. Bottles should be clean and dry. Caps should stay on unless local guidance says otherwise, and full sleeve labels should be removed where possible.

Consumers should also avoid crushing bottles so sorting equipment can identify them. These small steps help processors recover cleaner material that is easier to turn into plastic suitable for new drink containers.

Recyclers will need certifications for their processes as standards and auditing shape the market. Bottlers will track recycled content at the lot level, meaning by production batch, and maintain records for regulators. Such records allow companies to trace the material used in production and support their recycled content claims.

The main milestones are the 2026 start for large producers, the planned expansion to smaller users and the 30 percent target for 2030. Alongside the 3 percent duty for large resin makers, these measures are intended to encourage investment in high grade recycling and connect collection systems more directly to bottling demand.

Greater transparency will help suppliers and brands match quality expectations and give consumers confidence in recycled content claims. For producers, the immediate task is to secure suitable material and the documentation needed to meet the first mandatory minimum on January 1.

Key Points

• From January 1, 2026, covered bottled water and nonalcoholic beverage producers must use at least 10 percent recycled PET in each bottle.
• The first stage covers producers using more than 5,000 metric tons of PET bottles annually, roughly ten companies including Coca Cola Korea, Lotte Chilsung Beverage and Jeju Development Corp.
• Authorities expect the requirement to drive the use of about 20,000 tons of recycled plastic a year by beverage and bottled water makers.
• The ministry plans to extend coverage to producers using more than 1,000 tons annually and raise the minimum to 30 percent by 2030.
• PET resin producers making more than 10,000 tons a year must include at least 3 percent recycled feedstock in their output.
• Government research found recycled PET safe for beverage bottles when processed under prescribed standards and verified through migration testing.
• Seoul's Arisu bottled tap water has used containers incorporating recycled material since April 2023.
• Supply, cost, bottle design, safety testing and traceable production records will shape implementation.