Starting in 2026, new regulations in China, South Korea, and Japan will reshape the recycled plastics industry. China has released nine national standards to establish a complete supply chain framework, South Korea mandates that PET bottles use 10% recycled materials, and Japan is promoting easily recyclable design certification. The global sustainable transformation of plastics is accelerating, requiring companies to plan ahead for supply chain and technology upgrades.
The global emphasis on sustainable plastic recycling is driving the continuous evolution of regulations in various countries. Recently, China, South Korea, and Japan have successively released important updates to their regulations on recycled plastics, which will officially take effect in early 2026.
I. China: Nine National Standards for Recycled Plastics
The State Administration for Market Regulation approved and released nine national standards for plastics and recycled plastics on August 1, 2025, which will officially take effect on February 1, 2026, covering aspects such as product evaluation, recyclable design, and traceability.
This batch of standards, together with the previously issued "Recycled Plastics Labelling and Marking" (GB/T 45090-2024) and "Limits of Restricted Substances in Recycled Plastics" (GB/T 45091-2024) in 2024, forms a comprehensive regulatory system covering the entire chain of "production-recycling-regeneration-reuse".
Four Highlights of the New Standard System
01 Recyclable Design Guidance: The two standards, "Recyclable Design Guidelines" (GB/T 46020.1-2025 and GB/T 46020.2-2025), provide a grading framework for the recyclability of PE-HD and PET products by standardizing material selection, design elements, and testing methods, thereby improving recycling rates and recycling quality from the source design stage.
02. Evaluation and Identification of Recycled Plastics
The *Technical Specification for Evaluation of Recycled Plastic Products* (GB/T 46018.1/2-2025) is based on the life cycle concept, taking into account domestic and international industry standards, and comprehensively evaluates the quality, environmental and energy aspects, process management, and traceability of materials such as PS and PET.
The *Identification of Recycled Plastic Components* (GB/T 46019.1/2-2025, etc.) standard introduces headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HGC-MS) and random forest models to achieve high-precision identification of recycled plastics such as PET and PP.
03. Special Recycled Plastics
The *Polyolefin Blend (MPO) Materials* (GB/T 40006.4-2025) and *Recycled Polyphenylene Ether (PPE) Materials* (GB/T 40006.13-2025) fill the standard gaps in the fields of mixed waste plastics and high-end recycled plastics.
04. Labeling and Safety Category
The "Guideline for Traceability and Environmental Impact Assessment of Recycled Plastics" (GB/T 46043-2025) establishes a traceability system for the entire process of recycled plastics, assessing its life-cycle environmental impact. Combined with the "Labeling and Marking of Recycled Plastics" and "Limits for Restricted Substances in Recycled Plastics" released in 2024, it forms a closed-loop regulatory system that ensures the identification and safe use of recycled plastics.
Unified quality evaluation standards and recyclable design guidelines will strongly promote green product design, improving both environmental and economic benefits. Simultaneously, recycled plastic products with traceability and identification characteristics will help enhance consumer trust. The above standards will officially come into effect on February 1, 2026.
II. South Korea: Mandatory Use of Recycled Materials in Transparent PET Bottles
On September 16, 2025, the South Korean Ministry of Environment passed a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Law on Promoting Resource Conservation and Recycling, imposing mandatory requirements on the recycled material content in PET beverage bottles. This will officially take effect on January 1, 2026, and will be fully implemented by 2030.
(I) Implementation Phases
Phase 1: From January 1, 2026, manufacturers of colorless PET bottled water and non-alcoholic beverages with an annual production or bottling volume exceeding 5,000 tons must use at least 10% recycled PET (rPET).
Phase 2: By 2030, the threshold will be lowered to manufacturers with an annual production or bottling volume exceeding 1,000 tons, requiring them to increase the rPET usage ratio to 30%.
(II) Safety Certification
The Ministry of Environment will certify the recycling process (collection/sorting/recycling); the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will implement safety certification for recycled materials used in food containers, limiting the use of certified rPET to the production of colorless PET bottles.
The aforementioned dual-track system of "process certification + food contact safety certification" means that companies must not only prove the blending ratio but also demonstrate that the recycling source and purification capabilities meet food contact safety requirements. Furthermore, the South Korean Ministry of Environment plans to expand the application scope of recycled plastics to include products such as household appliances, automotive interior parts, and cosmetic containers to further promote the use of recycled materials.
III. Japan: Incentive-Based Certification, Focusing on Recyclable Design
Unlike South Korea's mandatory regulations, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released a design certification standard based on the "Plastics Recycling Promotion Law" on July 24, 2025, adopting a voluntary certification system primarily based on incentives.
According to this standard, starting January 24, 2026, colorless PET beverage bottles can apply for certification if the following core requirements are met:
Recycled Material Content: The rPET content must be at least 15%.
Recyclable Design: The bottle body must be made entirely of PET, the cap and label must be PVC-free, and the label must be easy to peel off during recycling. Certified products will be included in Japan's priority procurement list under the Green Procurement Law, thus gaining a competitive advantage in government procurement.
Japan's strategy fully embodies the advanced concept of "Design for Recycling." By maximizing the recycling value of materials from the source of product design, recycling efficiency and the purity of rPET are effectively improved.
With the continuous increase in plastic production and consumption, plastic pollution has become a global environmental problem. Against the backdrop of growing public concern and anxiety about plastic pollution, many countries and regions have implemented or updated regulations mandating the use of recycled plastics in plastic packaging, especially beverage bottles and packaging materials, in recent years. These measures aim to reduce reliance on virgin plastics through mandatory means and promote the development of the recycling industry chain.
For companies involved in plastic recycling industry, Kitech Machinery will closely monitor global regulatory developments, especially the requirements of plastic pelletizing markets, to ensure product compliance. Simultaneously, we will conduct supply chain assessments in advance, continuously increase investment in technological research and development, improve recycling and regeneration technologies, and enhance the quality and performance of recycled plastics.
