More single-use plastic items to disappear from daily lives

A notice informs customers that plastic bags will no longer be on sale at a convenience store in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

More disposable plastics will disappear from convenience stores, coffee shops and restaurants Thursday, including single-use bags, straws and paper cups.

Yet the government set a one-year grace period for compliance, waiving fines or any kind of crackdown.

The new rules come from a change in the law on Dec. 31, 2021.

This is the first broadening of restrictions since a ban on plastic bag use by large retail stores in 2019.

That prohibited retail stores with a floor space of 3,000 square meters or more or supermarkets with a floor space of 165 square meters or more from giving customers plastic bags.

They were allowed to sell customers plastic bags for around 100 won, but that will stop Thursday and the restrictions will be extended to smaller stores like convenience stores and bakeries.

The offering of plastic sleeves for umbrellas on rainy days by large retail or department stores will also be banned.

Plastic items for cheering purposes will no longer be allowed to be sold in sports stadiums, although that won't effect thousands of people expect to gather in central Seoul to cheer on Korea’s national soccer team during their first match in the 2022 Qatar World Cup on Thursday. The rule doesn't apply outside stadiums.

Even in stadiums, cheering equipment brought in by the audience personally is not subject to regulation.

Violation of these regulations could lead to fines of up to 3 million won ($2,219). But the Ministry of Environment announced a one-year grace period on Nov. 1.

The ministry will run a publicity campaign encouraging people to shun single-use, disposable bags and utensils.

"We expect that the campaign will be an opportunity to change the perspective of people on single-use, disposable cups and hope it will help reduce the actual use of these goods," said an Environment Ministry official during a press briefing on Nov. 1.

Ahead of the new regulations, convenience stores were a bit confused about the rules.

Four convenience store branches in Korea — GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, and E-Mart 24 — stopped ordering disposable plastic bags. But with after the one-year grace period was announced in November, convenience store owners are hurriedly reordering plastic bags to avoid complaints from customers.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]