Disposable plastic cup ban returns on April 1

Economy

Published: 29 Mar. 2022, 15:08 Updated: 03 Apr. 2022, 14:04

Disposable plastic cup ban returns on April 1

Coffee brewed at Starbucks in Seoul. [YONHAP]

A ban on coffee shops and restaurants offering disposable plastic cups will be reinstated on April 1, but the incoming administration of Yoon Suk-yeol is already objecting.

The ban on disposable cups within coffee shops, which was first instituted in 2018, was temporarily lifted during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Environment Ministry, stores that fail to comply face fines of up to 3 million won ($2,400).

In June, a system in which retailers have to pay for returned empty bottles and cans will be implemented.

The transition team for the Yoon government has asked for the disposable cup ban to be put off.

“While Covid-19 has not yet been sorted out, disposable products will be banned at coffee shops and restaurants starting April 1,” said Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the transition team, on Monday. “Customers will demand disposable cups due to Covid-19, which will eventually lead to confrontations with shop owners, who will be afraid of fines.”

Ahn criticized the government for policies that aren't really appropriate given the current situation.

The environment ministry said it doesn't have time to retract the order. It stressed that it has consistently promoted restrictions on disposable products even during the pandemic.

In fact, the pandemic led to a spike in orders for home deliveries from restaurants and a corresponding increase in the use of disposable eating implements.

In a statement, the environment ministry argued that as restaurants reuse chopsticks and dishes, there is no sanitary issue in reusing cups.

Customers have conflicting opinions.

“I agree with policies protecting the environment, but at a time when the Covid-19 situation is serious, I feel uncomfortable drinking coffee from a cup that has been reused,” said Mr. Kim, 49, who recently ordered a drink in a plastic cup from Starbucks.
Coffee shop owners argue that detergents used to wash reusable cups do their own kind of damage to the environment.

“It’s hard to clean drinks with whipping cream, condensed milk or fruit syrups,” said an official from a major coffee franchise.

The official also said a barista collecting used cups from around a coffee shop could be exposed to the infectious virus from customers or vice versa.

“While there have been proposals of setting up unmanned machine where cups are returned, it costs 1 million won per machine,” the official said. “We’ve already had to buy QR code readers and temperature monitoring sensors because of Covid-19. Do we need to buy other equipment?"

Some say coffee shops would have to now hire additional help to collect and clean cups.

A coffee shop franchisee says he spends 700,000 won a month on plastic cups. Hiring help to wash reusable cups would be more expensive. “Wouldn’t it be a greater contributor to environment pollution if we use more detergents?” he asked.

Smaller coffee shops have a space problem.

“Unless it’s a major store, there’s not much space to store all of the returned cups,” said a coffee shop industry official, who requested anonymity. “[Small coffee shops] have barely space for employees to stand.
“Some of the cups if stacked for a long time could start to smell.”

BY KIM MIN-SANG, LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]