To strengthen the promotion of recycling for plastic liners and blisters and to align with international systems for labeling plastic packaging materials, the Ministry of Environment has announced an amendment to the “Scope of the Enterprises Responsible for Placing Relevant Recycling Symbols on Goods and Containers, the Size and Placement of the Symbols, and Other Requirements.” The amendment adds provisions requiring plastic liners and blisters to be labeled with plastic material recycling identification codes, effective July 1, 2027.

The Ministry explained that the revision is in response to the 2023 designation of plastic liners and blisters as regulated recyclable waste. To raise awareness among the public and institutions, manufacturers or importers of plastic liners or blisters used for unpackaged goods are required to label the plastic material identification code directly on the body of the plastic liner or blister. For importers of packaged products containing such materials, the code must be labeled either on the liner/blister itself or on the product’s packaging or label.

If the code is placed on the packaging or label, the corresponding plastic material of each component (e.g., plastic liner, blister, container, or film packaging material) must be clearly indicated below the symbol to distinguish the used materials .

The Ministry further noted that if plastic liners or blisters are used in the packaging of medicines, health foods, or medical devices, labeling on the packaging body may involve changes to the packaging material or structure. This would require stability tests, preclinical trials, and approval from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which could affect the product’s supply stability and public health needs. Therefore, such plastic packaging materials are exempt from this labeling requirement.

The Ministry emphasized that for producers of plastic liners and blisters registered before the effective date (July 1, 2027), labeling must be completed by September 30, 2027. Newly registered responsible enterprises after the effective date must complete labeling starting from the day following three full months after registration.

Through this labeling system, the Ministry hopes to guide responsible enterprises toward simplifying the material composition of film packaging, while also promoting better sorting and recycling of plastic film packaging materials by the public and institutions.