Law 21.847 extends single-use plastics regulation by two years

Law 21.847 extends by two years the entry into force of the regulations for the single-use plastics law and flexibilizes the accreditation of certification requirements. The regulation was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,594, on Monday, November 9, 2026, in Section I (General Norms), with the official reference CVE 2899831.

What it modifies and when it takes effect

The provision, issued by the Ministry of the Environment, introduces changes to Law No. 21.368, which regulates the delivery of single-use plastics and plastic bottles. The text was promulgated in Santiago on October 23, 2026, and sanctioned by the President of the Republic, José Antonio Kast Rist, along with the Minister of the Environment, Francisca Toledo Echegaray.

The project originated from a motion by Senator Sergio Gahona Salazar and consists of a single article with four modifications:

• Full substitution of Article 3 of Law No. 21.368, regarding the prohibition of delivery for consumption within the establishment.
• A new final paragraph of the first transitory article, which sets a floor of 30 percent for the percentage in Article 8.
• Replacement of the expression “six months” with “two years” in the first paragraph of the second transitory article.
• Incorporation of a third transitory article regarding the accreditation of certification requirements.

Two years instead of six months

The central change is in the second transitory article: where Law No. 21.368 said “six months,” it now says “two years.” This postpones the requirement associated with the law’s regulations, as announced by the title of Law 21.847 itself, which declares its objective as “extending the entry into force of its regulations.”

The extension coexists with a second calendar adjustment: the new final paragraph of the first transitory article establishes that the percentage in the second paragraph of Article 8, which must be determined by the regulations, “may not be less than 30 percent.” In other words, the law legally establishes a minimum threshold that was previously left entirely to regulatory authority.

Test reports as accreditation

The new third transitory article provides that, as long as the certification of Article 10 is not required according to the regulations, compliance with the certification requirements of Articles 4 and 7 may be demonstrated through other suitable technical evidence. The text explicitly mentions two avenues:

• Test reports.
• Certifications provided by product certification bodies.

This formula operates as a temporary escape valve: those obligated are not released from the substantive requirements of Articles 4 and 7, but they can accredit them with documents other than the certification that is not yet mandatory.

Prohibition within the establishment

The new Article 3 maintains the prohibition on the delivery, under any title, of single-use products when intended for consumption within the establishment. The exception is limited to products made of wood, paper, and/or cardboard, such that all other materials are included in the prohibition for on-site consumption.

The text was submitted with the signature of the Undersecretary of the Environment, José Vial Barros, and also featured the signatures of the Minister of the Interior, Claudio Alvarado Andrade; the Minister of Economy, Development, and Tourism, Daniel Mas Valdés; and the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Fernando Rabat Celis.

The relief is direct for food establishments and retail trade, which gain a two-year grace period before being required to provide certification of the regulation and, in the meantime, may support their products with test reports or third-party certifications. For consumers, however, the change does not relax the prohibition on delivering single-use products within the establishment: it only shifts the calendar and the method of proving technical compliance.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,594, November 9, 2026, Section I (General Norms), p. 1 (official reference: CVE 2899831).