Ley 21.100, published in the Diario Oficial on 3 August 2018, banned plastic shopping bags in commerce: large retailers from 3 February 2019, six months after publication, and micro, small and medium businesses from 3 August 2020. Ley 21.368, published on 13 August 2021, restricts single-use plastics in food service. Its first phase applied from 13 February 2022 (no single-use items for on-site consumption in restaurants; polystyrene foam banned), returnable-bottle obligations for all sellers from 13 August 2023, and the final phase, delayed from August 2024 to 54 months after publication by a 2024 amending law, took effect on 13 February 2026, with its implementing regulation in force from 7 July 2026.
Chile is also home to Algramo, a refill company. A 2023 case study by Circle Economy says it sells through more than 2,000 family-owned shops in Santiago and reaches over 325,000 customers. Its refill containers carry radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. It says customers can save up to 30 percent on essentials.
Status as at September 2026: in force, with the food-service phase-outs complete since February 2026. Dates verified against Ley 21.100 and Ley 21.368 (Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional) and Ministerio del Medio Ambiente releases of July 2020, February 2022 and February 2026 on 23 September 2026.