South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has confirmed that all bottled drinking water in the domestic market must be produced and sold without traditional plastic labels from 1 January 2026.

The new rule shifts the display of crucial product details to digital QR codes printed directly on bottle caps or external packaging, marking a significant change in beverage packaging practices.

The regulation aims to cut plastic use and support better recycling outcomes across supply chains.

New plastic reduction policy set to affect bottle packaging and recycling

Under the policy, physical labels wrapped around PET bottles will be banned for bottled water products. Instead, QR codes on bottle caps will carry product information such as the brand and product name, manufacturing and expiry dates, water source, and contact details.

For multi-pack or small packaged products, the required details can appear on external packaging or carrying handles.

Officials estimate that the regulation could cut approximately 2,270 tonnes of plastic waste per year, based on production figures of around 5.2 billion bottles in 2024.

The move reflects the government’s broader efforts to reduce single-use plastic waste and improve the efficiency of PET bottle recycling systems nationwide.

Industry compliance timelines and transitional arrangements

The regulation takes effect fully from 1 January 2026 for online and bundled sales.

However, a one-year transition period will apply to individually sold bottles in physical retail shops to allow smaller retailers time to adapt their point-of-sale systems and QR-based information access.

The government has engaged with manufacturers, retailers and trade groups in advance of rollout.

This phased approach aims to minimise disruption across the bottled water supply chain and ensure that all participants can meet compliance requirements on time.

Implications for packaging design and supply chain players

The label-free packaging mandate will have implications for upstream and downstream parts of the beverage supply chain.

Packaging converters and print technology providers may need to support bottle producers with high-speed on-cap QR printing and direct marking solutions. Existing machinery that handles traditional labelling may require retrofits or replacement to meet the new regulatory standard.

For multinational bottlers and local contract packagers, the change underscores a growing trend towards digital labelling and circular economy regulations in packaging.

As countries and trading regions strengthen requirements on plastic waste and recyclability, industry stakeholders will need to monitor comparable developments for international market access.