South Korea to mandate separate disposal of paper cartons from 2027
South Korea's Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment will require large apartment complexes to sort paper cartons such as milk packs separately from regular waste starting 1 January 2027. A voluntary pilot covering roughly 144,000 complexes of 300 or more households begins next month, backed by a memorandum of understanding signed on 21 September 2026 with carton producers Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc Korea, Hansol Paper and Ssangyong C&B, dairy groups Seoul Milk and Maeil Dairy, and industry recycling bodies. Signatories will share collection and sorting costs, fund optical sorting equipment and commit to design changes to improve recyclability.
Why this mattersA binding sorting mandate and cost-sharing scheme could raise recycling rates and recycled pulp supply, pressuring carton makers to redesign for recyclability ahead of similar EPR moves elsewhere.
- South Korea's Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment will make separate disposal of paper cartons mandatory in large apartment complexes from 1 January 2027
- A voluntary pilot begins next month (October 2026) across about 144,000 apartment complexes with 300 or more households
- The ministry signed an MOU on 21 September 2026 at the Hansol Paper Daejeon plant with Seoul Milk, Maeil Dairy, Hansol Paper, Ssangyong C&B, SIG Combibloc Korea, Tetra Pak and industry bodies
- Producers including Seoul Milk and Maeil Dairy will share collection, sorting and recycling costs and increase purchases of recycled paper products
- Signatories will fund optical sorting machine installations and design-stage recyclability improvements