South Korea Expands Paper Carton Sorting Rules as Recycling Rate Falls
South Korea has begun a phased overhaul of paper beverage carton disposal, with mandatory separate collection due at large apartment complexes in 2027 amid doubts about enforcement and recycling capacity.
South Korea has started phasing in stricter disposal rules for paper beverage cartons, seeking to reverse a sharp decline in recycling while raising fresh questions about how effectively household sorting requirements can be enforced.
The new policy entered voluntary implementation on Oct. 1. From Jan. 1, 2027, apartment complexes with at least 300 households will be required to collect paper beverage cartons separately from other recyclable paper. The measure is expected to cover about 144,000 buildings, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.
The rules apply to conventional milk cartons as well as aseptic cartons commonly used for juice, soy milk and soju. Residents will be expected to wash and flatten the containers before placing them in dedicated collection bins. Putting the cartons alongside ordinary paper at the same recycling point, which was previously permitted, will no longer satisfy the requirement.
Local governments must revise their ordinances before penalties can be imposed. Once that process is complete, violations could carry fines of up to 300,000 won, or roughly $220, under the Waste Control Act.
The change comes despite South Korea's reputation for collecting a large share of recyclable waste. Collection does not always translate into reuse, and the ministry estimates that the collection and recycling rate for paper beverage cartons dropped to 13 percent in 2023 from 19.9 percent in 2019.
The government is also trying to strengthen the industry surrounding carton recovery. Environment Minister Kim Sung-whan said the ministry would support the institutional foundation and collection system needed to establish paper carton recycling. The ministry signed a partnership in September with dairy producers, paper manufacturers and recyclers to support that effort.
Implementation remains the central challenge. A separate-disposal requirement for transparent plastic beverage bottles has been in force since December 2020, but enforcement has proved difficult because authorities have limited means to identify people who mix bottles with other plastics. Concerns have also emerged that apartment security workers may bear much of the practical enforcement burden. Reports that some collection companies remix plastics after pickup have further weakened public confidence in sorting rules.
The carton policy therefore represents more than an additional household task. Its success will depend on whether separate bins, collection practices and downstream recycling operations remain aligned after residents have done the sorting.