South Korea to mandate separate collection of paper cartons from 2027

South Korea's environment ministry will require roughly 144,000 qualifying apartment buildings to separate milk, juice and soy-milk cartons from general paper waste, with voluntary rollout from October 2026 becoming mandatory on 1 January 2027. The government has also signed a public-private agreement with carton producers and recyclers to build a closed-loop system turning collected cartons back into pulp for new cartons and recycled products.

Why this mattersA dedicated collection stream for high-grade carton pulp could lift recycling rates and recovered-fibre quality for aseptic and gable-top carton makers operating in Korea.

• Mandate covers apartment complexes of 300 or more households under the Housing Management Act enforcement decree
• Voluntary separate collection begins across about 144,000 building units from October 2026
• Mandatory separate collection for carton packaging starts 1 January 2027
• Government signed a 'Closed Loop' public-private agreement with carton producers and recyclers
• Rules distinguish standard cartons (milk, juice) from aseptic cartons with aluminium-foil layers (soy milk, some beverages)
• Residents must empty, rinse, flatten and dry cartons before depositing them separately from general paper

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