KOREA – Secondary packaging is threatening to overwhelm Korea’s waste disposal and collection systems due to a retail habit of bundling individual products in layers of secondary wrapping, generally PVC.

According to government and industry data, more than 5,000 tons of secondary wrapping materials entered the market last year mainly focused on five main product lines: shampoo, detergent, hygiene product, instant noodles and tuna cans.

However, the Korean government actually estimates that the total amount of secondary packaging could be in excess of 10,000 tons due to a high rate of packaging evading statistical collection.

Were the government estimates accurate this would represent more than one percent of the total 700,000 tons of plastic and vinyl garbage dumped nationwide. And while the amount of plastic and vinyl waste in Korea has barely increased over the past ten years, secondary packaging waste is rising fast, by 10% per year.

This, according to the research, indicates that Korea’s packaging reduction programmes are having limited success with gains in the reduction of primary packaging being offset by increases in secondary and possibly less environmentally friendly PVC.

Secondary packing is not unique to Korea, however the country has one of the highest secondary packaging penetration levels in the world with 71% of shampoo products sold in bundles in Korea, at larger outlet chains such as E-Mart, Homeplus and Lotte Mart this rises to 85.7%. In Japan secondary packaging entering the retail market is less than 12.2% while in the U.S. and EU it represents only 4% according to international market researcher ACNielsen, this can be attributed to heightened competition among manufacturer-distributors in Korea and an ostentatious spending culture.

Producing and recycling these secondary-wrapping materials cost some US$9.3 billion (W100 billion) last year alone.

The government is worried that the needless packaging is degrading the environment and regards it as the biggest obstacle to reducing waste in general.