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Starting this year, attaching labels to bundled bottled water has been banned. However, bottled water with labels can still be found on store shelves.
Reporter Jang Seon-i looks into the reasons why.
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Bottled water is on sale at a large discount store.
Transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles without labels sit side by side with products wrapped in brand label bands.
[Yu In-hyuk / Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul: Labels aren't really necessary, yet they are still attached. While some people peel them off before discarding, the majority just throw them away as they are.]
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has banned the use of labels on bundled bottled water products, excluding those sold individually, starting this year.
A first violation results in a warning, while a second violation can lead to business suspension.
The measure aims to reduce plastic usage, which amounts to 2,270 tons annually, and increase recycling efficiency.
This brand has been producing all of its bottled water for domestic sales without labels since last May.
So why do some products still have labels?
It is because they are classified as imported bottled water, extracted and manufactured as finished products overseas in countries like China or France.
Domestically produced Samdasoo is subject to the label ban, whereas Baeksansoo, produced in China, is permitted to have labels.
Imported products account for about 4.3 percent of bottled water.
Products that look similar to bottled water but are legally classified as mixed beverages because minerals are added to the water are also exempt from the mandatory label-free policy.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety takes a cautious stance on removing labels from mixed beverages.
[Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Official: Unlike bottled water, mixed beverages generally use various ingredients, and due to concerns over spoilage and deterioration, providing information such as the use-by date and managing it is important, so label indications must be maintained.]
Critics point out that the expansion of the label-free system should be reviewed in a way that reduces plastic consumption while satisfying consumers' right to know about products.
(Video reporting: Lee Moo-jin, Video editing: Jung Yong-hwa)
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