1. Overview
The Act on the Promotion of the Recycling of Plastic Resources establishes a system whereby the relevant minister certifies the designs of particularly outstanding plastic products. On Sunday, 25 January 2026, the design certification standards came into effect for stationery items, PET bottles for soft drinks, and containers for household cleaning and cosmetic products. In order to receive certification, products must undergo a thorough evaluation process and disclose all relevant information. They must also comply with the design certification standards established for each product category. Today, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry granted the first design certifications under the certification system for PET soft drink bottles (*). The use of certified products will be encouraged through measures such as promoting their procurement under the Green Purchasing Act and supporting the development of recycling facilities, thereby promoting the recycling of plastic resources. On the same day, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also granted its first design certifications for stationery, household cleaning agent containers and household cosmetic containers.
2. Certification of exceptionally superior designs for plastic products
On Tuesday, 10 February 2026, certification was granted for the design of a total of 18 plastic products, including the first certification listed below, pursuant to the provisions of Article 8, Paragraph 4 of the Act on the Promotion of Recycling of Plastic Resources, including PET bottles for soft drinks. On the same day, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries presented certificates to the four organisations that obtained the first certification in each product category (stationery, PET bottles for soft drinks, household cleaning agent containers and household cosmetic containers).
