1 
 Revisions of the Ministerial Ordinance on Standards for Labeling of the Steel or Aluminium 
beverage cans and the Ministerial Ordinance on Standards for Labeling of the Polyethylene 
terephthalate beverage or specified sauce containers 
 
January 2020 
Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Division 
Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau 
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry 
 
1. Background 
 
Act on the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources (Law No.48 of 1991) 
requires manufacturers to include specific marks indicating waste separation practices on 
specified products in order to promote recycling and the use of recyclable resources. Ministerial 
ordinances on standards for marking and labeling specified products stipulate the details that 
must be indicated (materials, etc.) and physical details of the marks themselves that must be 
observed (mark size, etc.). 
 
In regard to steel or aluminium beverage cans and polyethylene terephthalate 
beverage or specified sauce containers, a significant amount of time has passed since the 
original enactment of the ministerial ordinances and waste separation practices. Meanwhile, 
the size of required food labeling has been reduced because smaller beverage containers have 
become popular and the required amount of food safety information which must be displayed 
has increased. 
 
 Therefore, the following amendments will be made to a) enable manufacturers to 
secure label space and b) promote further efforts to reduce the amount of waste and to 
encourage recycling of materials. 
 
2. Outline of amendments 
 
(1) Reduce the minimum size of the required printed or affixed indication marks for steel or 
aluminium beverage cans and polyethylene terephthalate beverage or specified sauce  
containers. 
 
(2) With regard to polyethylene terephthalate beverage or specified sauce containers, printed 
or affixed indication marks for individual containers (excluding engraved indication marks to 
which no amendments have been made) can be omitted when exterior containers and 
packaging display the required marks. 
 
  2 
 - Ministerial Ordinance on Standards for Labeling for the Steel or Aluminium beverage cans 
 
Form1: indication marks printed on or affixed to steel beverage cans (where the main body 
is steel) 
 
 
R：Circle diameter（6㎜ or more） 
a：Circle break width（equal to or less than 3/5 of “R”） 
W：Line width（0.6㎜ or more） 
The character size (in the middle of the circle) is 4 points or more as stipulated in Japanese Industrial Standard 
Z8305. 
 
 
Form2: indication marks printed on or affixed to aluminium beverage cans (where the main 
body is aluminium)  
 
 
a：Length of one side（6㎜ or more） 
b：Width of one side cut（equal to or less than 3/5 of “a”） 
W：Line width（0.6㎜ or more） 
θ：Size of one angle（60°） 
The character size (in the middle of the triangle) is 4 points or more as stipulated in Japanese Industrial Standard 
Z8305. 
 
 
- Ministerial Ordinance on Standards for Labeling of the Polyethylene terephthalate 
beverage or specified sauce containers 
 
Beverage or specified sauce containers with internal volume of 150 milliliters or more; 
 
Form1: engraved indication marks on individual PET containers [no amendments] 
 
 3 
 a：Length of one side（8㎜ or more） 
b：Width of one side cut（0.3㎜ or more, less than 0.8㎜） 
W：Line width（0.7㎜ or more） 
θ：Size of one angle（60°） 
The size of the number (in the center of the triangle) is 7 points or more as stipulated in Japanese Industrial 
Standard Z8305. 
The character size (below the triangle) is 5 points or more as stipulated in Japanese Industrial Standard Z8305. 
 
 
Form2: printed or affixed indication marks on individual PET containers 
 
 
a：Length of one side（6㎜ or more） 
b：Width of one side cut（0.2㎜ or more, less than 1/14 of “a”） 
W：Line width（0.5㎜ or more） 
θ：Size of one angle（60°） 
The size of the number (in the center of the triangle) is 5 points or more as stipulated in Japanese Industrial 
Standard Z8305. 
The character size (below the triangle) is 4 points or more as stipulated in Japanese Industrial Standard Z8305. 
 
 
Form3: engraved, printed or affixed indication marks on exterior containers and packaging 
 
 
a：Length of one side（28㎜ or more） 
b：Width of one side cut（1.5㎜ or more, less than 2.0mm） 
W：Line width（2.8㎜ or more） 
θ：Size of one angle（60°） 
The size of the number (in the center of the triangle) is 26 points or more as stipulated in Japanese Industrial 
Standard Z8305. 
The character size (below the triangle) is 17 points or more as stipulated in Japanese Industrial Standard Z8305. 
 
 
3. Estimated date of entry into force 
  1 April 2020 
 ※Current required printed or affixed indication marks continue to be valid.