Korea unveils sweeping plan to cut plastic use, curb oil dependence

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Korea unveils sweeping plan to cut plastic use, curb oil dependence

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By

Lee Kyung-min

Published

Apr 28, 2026 6:01 pm

KST

Plastic waste floats in the sea off Manila, Philippines. Korea Times file

Korea is moving to break its reliance on oil-based plastics, unveiling an ambitious plan Tuesday to slash waste and build a circular economy that officials say will reshape how materials are produced and reused.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said it presented the “Plastic-Free Circular Economy Transition Plan” at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, setting a target to cut the use of newly produced plastic materials by more than 30 percent from projected levels by 2030.

The plan calls for reducing unnecessary plastic at the source while replacing unavoidable waste with recycled materials, the ministry said.

Under current projections, plastic waste from households and businesses is expected to reach about 10 million tons by 2030, up from 7.8 million tons in 2024. The government aims to reduce that total by 1 million tons through source reduction and replace 2 million tons with recycled materials.

Key measures include encouraging a shift to alternative materials such as paper, promoting lighter packaging designs and restricting excessive packaging in delivery services. Products that are difficult to recycle may face limits on market entry through industry agreements.

The government also plans to expand the use of recycled materials. PET bottles, which already require 10 percent recycled content, will see that mandate rise to 30 percent by 2030. Similar targets will be discussed for other materials, including polyethylene and polypropylene used in food and cosmetic packaging.

To support the transition, the ministry said it will invest 13.8 billion won ($9.3 million) in upgrading recycling infrastructure, including advanced sorting systems using artificial intelligence.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.