Payment for Recycled Soju Bottles to Double In South Korea

Since the liquor industry has to pay for this payment increase I can understand why they are not happy about it, but restaurants will definitely be making more money by recycling all their bottles:

The Environment Ministry’s decision to raise cash payments for used soju and beer bottles starting next year faces a slew of challenges, including protests from liquor companies, concerns about bottle supplies and worries that prices could rise as a result.

On Sept. 3, the ministry announced a new cash-for-bottles recycling plan, in which liquor makers would pay more for returned, used bottles.

The refunded deposits, as they are called, will rise from 40 won (36 cents) for a 360-mililiter (1.5-cup) soju bottle to 100 won, and from 50 won for 500-mililiter and 600-mililiter beer bottles to 130 won.

A recycling commission that liquor companies pay wholesale and retail distributors, such as restaurants and department stores, or individual brokers who collect empty bottles, will be raised from 16 won to 33 won for soju bottles and from 19 won to 33 won for beer bottles.

The ministry believes the bigger payments for empties will encourage recycling.

Currently, about 85 percent of nearly nine billion bottles used every year are returned to the makers, according to government data. The ministry expects the rate to rise to 95 percent under the new policy.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

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