Large Discount Retailers to Standardize Bottled Water in PET Bottles as Label-Free Products

Me
[Financial News] Individual bottled drinking water in PET bottles sold at large discount retailers will also be converted to label-free products without brand sleeves. This is expected to ease the burden of waste separation for consumers and further invigorate the circular economy.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that on the 29th it will sign a "Business Agreement to Expand Label-Free Bottled Drinking Water Products" at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Jung District, Seoul, together with three major discount retailers (NongHyup Agribusiness Group Inc., Emart Inc., and Lotte Shopping Lotte Mart Division), KCCI, and the Korea Chain Store Association.
This agreement follows a similar accord signed with convenience stores and highway rest area operators in August last year. It is intended to expand the supply of label-free bottled drinking water to distribution channels that are closely tied to people’s daily lives, namely large discount retailers.
Under the label-free bottled water system, manufacturers and distributors do not attach brand sleeves (labels) to bottled drinking water. Instead, product information that used to appear on the label is provided via a QR code on the bottle cap, or, for multi-pack products, on the outer packaging or the carrying handle.
To protect consumers’ right to information, five key details—product category, product name, expiration date (including manufacturing date), water source, and contact information—must still be engraved or printed directly on the bottle surface or the cap.
This new information system is expected not only to improve consumer convenience but also to generate tangible environmental value in support of the circular economy. Once the label-free system is fully established, it could cut annual plastic use by about 2,270 tons, based on 5.2 billion bottles produced in 2024, that would otherwise go into label production. Recycling efficiency is also projected to improve significantly.
Since the full-scale implementation of the label-free system in January this year, both online and offline multi-pack bottled drinking water products have been produced and distributed only in label-free form. For individual bottles sold offline, however, on-site feedback indicated that supplementary measures were needed at the point of sale, such as scanning QR codes. In response, the government is operating a one-year "transition guidance period" to minimize confusion and support a gradual shift.
The three large discount retailers that joined the agreement will prioritize stocking and selling label-free products in their stores. To prevent inconvenience such as checkout delays when selling individual bottles, they will introduce measures suited to each store, including QR code scanning systems, pre-registration of products at the checkout, or attaching dedicated barcodes for payment near the cash registers.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) will be responsible for technical support to apply the international GS1 standard to QR codes. The Korea Chain Store Association will inspect distribution sites and promote the initiative so that eco-friendly consumption habits spread across the entire market.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment plans to work with industry so that the transition to label-free bottled drinking water can take root while minimizing inconvenience for both consumers and retailers.
Vice Minister of Climate Geum Han-seung said, "Following last year’s participation by convenience store operators, this new cooperation with large discount retailers will become a key driving force in helping the bottled water industry respond to the climate crisis and accelerate the shift to a circular economy." He added, "The government will maintain close communication with the field and provide full administrative support, and we hope the public will enjoy the 'convenience of no labels' while practicing eco-friendly consumption in their daily lives."
leeyb@fnnews.com Lee You-beom Reporter