Original article: Victoria contra la basura plástica: entra en vigencia el tramo final de la ley de plásticos de un solo uso
As of Friday, February 13, establishments like restaurants, cafes, bars, soda fountains, and fast food locations will only be able to provide reusable or disposable items made from non-plastic materials for consumption inside the premises.
On February 13, 2026, a long-awaited environmental milestone was achieved in Chile. After an extensive legislative journey that included adjustments and delays, the final phase of Law 21.368, better known as the Single-Use Plastics Law, has come into full effect.
This regulation, aimed primarily at reducing waste generation in the country, successfully completes its gradual implementation, establishing new and definitive rules for food service establishments and the beverage industry.
From this day forward, the landscape in restaurants, cafes, bars, soda fountains, and fast food outlets will change dramatically. The new phase of the law mandates that these establishments can only serve reusable or disposable items made from materials other than plastic for consumption within their locations.
This marks the end of single-use plastic cups, plates, and containers in dining areas, paving the way for alternatives such as ceramics, glass, or, in the case of disposables, products made from paper, cardboard, or wood.
Additionally, another crucial provision that comes into force requires supermarkets to allocate at least 30% of their beverage displays to returnable bottles, thereby promoting a culture of reuse and circular economy.
Environmental organizations that played a vital role in the creation and promotion of this law celebrated the moment as a victory for ecosystem conservation.
Tania Rheinen, Executive Director of Oceana in Chile, emphasized the positive impact of the measure. “Thanks to this law, we will avoid thousands of tons of single-use plastics each year,” she stated, underlining the relief this will bring to the environment.
In her remarks, she noted that “reducing the use of these materials not only protects our oceans and the species that inhabit them, but also helps reduce the waste burden facing our cities.”
The aim of the regulation is to halt pollution from single-use plastics, considering that around 70% of the debris found on the beaches of Chile and worldwide corresponds to these wastes. According to initial reports from Oceana, it is estimated that the full implementation of the law will prevent more than 23,000 tons of single-use plastics generated by food service establishments annually.
It is important to remember that the implementation of this final phase of the regulation was initially scheduled for 2024 but was postponed due to intense pressure from opposing sectors. Consequently, a modification published on August 12, 2024, delayed its enactment by nearly a year.
However, during this period, efforts to revert to disposable plastics were halted, allowing only the use of paper, cardboard, or wood items for consumption within establishments, thereby paving the way for a definitive transition.
Roxana Muñoz, Campaigns Advocacy Manager at Greenpeace, also celebrated the law’s full implementation, although she did not hide her criticism of the years deemed lost. She reflected, “If the law had not been postponed, Chile would be much further ahead in reducing plastic pollution. The successive extensions and modifications resulted in lost years and tons of waste that ended up in ecosystems.”
Her argument underscores the urgency of climate action and the environmental cost of political delays, recalling that the law’s initial requirements began to take effect in February 2022, prohibiting the distribution of straws, cutlery, toothpicks, stirrers, and polystyrene items in all food service establishments, in addition to requiring the sale and acceptance of returnable beverage containers in supermarkets, an obligation later extended to convenience stores and neighborhood shops.
Call to Ensure Compliance with the Single-Use Plastics Law
With the new phase underway, attention now turns to the effective enforcement of the Single-Use Plastics Law. In this regard, the Coalition for a Plastic-Free Future—a partnership of civil society organizations including Fundación Basura, ONG FIMA, Ceus, Uno Punto Cinco, Plastic Oceans, Ecosur, Alianza Basura Cero, Greenpeace, Fundación Lenga, Fundación El Árbol, RADA, Fundación Chile Verde, Fundación Ecociencias, Tremendas, Ojos de Mar, and Oceana—has issued a call to municipalities, which are the regulatory enforcement bodies, food service establishments, and consumers to stay vigilant about compliance with the regulation.
Municipal oversight will be crucial to ensure that the law translates into real changes in consumption and production habits, rather than remaining just a piece of paper.
Finally, the future vision and challenges that still persist were summarized by Manuel Rojo from Alianza Basura Cero, who appreciated the end of legal uncertainty but urged continued effort.
“We think it’s great that this law has finally come into full effect, with its regulations, providing certainty for businesses and citizens alike,” Rojo remarked, acknowledging the importance of a clear and stable regulatory framework.
However, he also highlighted the limitations of the current regulation: “We believe that more can and should be done. This law has blind spots, and as Alianza Basura Cero, we will advocate for enhanced enforcement and higher standards in reducing unnecessary waste.”
With this admonition, environmental organizations make it clear that while today marks a significant victory against plastic waste, the fight for a Chile with less waste and cleaner oceans continues.
*Featured Photo: Cristóbal Olivares/ Greenpeace