Recycling PET Bottles to Make Food Containers... First Domestic Approval by MFDS

Plastic bottle stock photo. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Food containers made from recycled PET bottles will be introduced in South Korea. It is expected to contribute to environmental protection by promoting the recycling of PET bottles and reducing plastic usage.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 17th that it has, for the first time, approved the use of physically recycled raw materials made from transparent food-grade recycled PET bottles for manufacturing food containers.

PET bottles are well known for being used to hold carbonated drinks and bottled water. Physically recycled raw materials refer to materials that have been selected, crushed, and washed without chemical alteration after use.

Until now, most of the approximately 300,000 tons of recycled PET raw materials produced annually have been recycled into industrial materials such as nonwoven fabrics or insulation materials. With this approval, it is expected that at least 100,000 tons per year will be recycled into food containers.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has also established safety standards necessary for the use of physically recycled raw materials in food container manufacturing. The ministry verifies ▲the suitability of input materials ▲operating conditions of recycled raw material production facilities ▲and the efficiency of contaminant removal during the recycling process.

Policies to expand the use of recycled raw materials in food container manufacturing are already being implemented in Europe and the United States. Global food and beverage companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestl? are also gradually increasing their use of recycled raw materials.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "We will continue to conduct thorough approval reviews of physically recycled raw materials to ensure the safety of food containers made from recycled materials, and will continuously establish safety standards to promote resource circulation and environmental protection."