The Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Wha-jin) and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Minister OH Yu-Kyoung) announced that they have prepared hygiene standard guidelines for the production, handling, and cleaning process of reusable containers.

In this guideline, guidance is provided on the standards for containers and cleaning agents as regulated by current laws such as the Promotion of Circular Economy and Society Act and the Food Sanitation Act, as well as instructions on the establishment of cleaning facilities, cleaning methods, and hygiene management. This is intended to serve as a reference for companies renting reusable containers when conducting business.

In addition, guidelines are proposed for cleaning containers, disposal criteria, and quick testing methods for microorganisms and residual detergents. Guidance is also provided to consumers, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. to use reusable containers safely and information is provided with regards to damage compensation, and so forth.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment has also established guidelines for the implementation of government support programs for the promotion of reusable containers, in order to facilitate systematic and efficient project initiatives.

The implementation guidelines provide standards for the size and minimum thickness of reusable cups, as well as the management of cup rental and return quantities through computer systems, to enable systematic analysis of project effectiveness. For example, the guidelines specify that the capacity of reusable cups should be in three sizes (355 mL, 414 mL, and 473 mL), with a minimum thickness of at least 1 mm, and an outer diameter of the cup should be between 92 mm-98 mm (replacing paper cups with a cup diameter of 90 mm). To facilitate recycling when disposing of reusable cups, they are made colorless, and printing is avoided as much as possible.

Furthermore, for various types of projects such as reusable packaging in coffee shops, reusable containers for food delivery, as well as for multiuse facilities including movie theaters, sports stadiums, and local festival venues, the guidelines provide a list of preparatory tasks that local governments need to consider when developing project plans. This ensures a thorough management of projects.

The Ministry of Environment expects that the establishment of guidelines for washing and hygiene standards and execution guidelines by type for reusable containers will ensure hygiene and safety of reusable containers in the future, and provide optimal business models that will enhance project efficiency.

The "Guidelines for Washing and Hygiene Standards for Reusable Containers" can be obtained from the Ministry of Environment's website (me.go.kr) from July 31.

Contact: Lim Yang-seok, Deputy Director

Resource Circulation Policy Division / +82-(0)44-201-7354