This file photo shows delivery packages piled up ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday on Feb. 1, 2024. (Yonhap)
SEJONG, March 7 (Korea Bizwire) – The environment ministry on Thursday announced a two-year grace period for a ban on excessive parcel packaging set to go into effect next month.
The overpackaging ban, set to take effect on April 30, stipulates that less than half of empty space should remain inside a delivery box after storing goods and the disposable wrapping should stick to one layer.
Exceptions to the ban are small packages whose sum of width, length and height is 50 centimeters or less.
Violations are punishable by fines of up to 3 million won (US$2,253).
The ministry decided to give the grace period of two years and exclude firms with less than 50 billion won in yearly sales from the ban, citing an estimate that less than 10 percent of all delivery packages come from such small and mid-sized firms.
The ministry said it will sign an agreement with 19 large distribution and logistics companies to reduce packaging waste by using eco-friendly wrapping and devising a multiuse packaging delivery system.
(Yonhap)
