Government scraps plan to ban paper cups

Social Affairs

Published: 07 Nov. 2023, 18:46 Updated: 09 Nov. 2023, 09:59

Government scraps plan to ban paper cups

Paper cups are stacked at a restaurant in downtown Seoul on Tuesday. The Environment Ministry announced that it would scrap its ban on the use of paper cups in restaurants and cafes and tentatively postpone its plans to regulate the use of plastic straws and stir sticks.[NEWS1]

Koreans will now be able to use paper cups at restaurants and coffee shops.

The Ministry of Environment announced on Tuesday that it would scrap its plan to ban the use of paper cups. The decision came a few weeks before the one-year period that tentatively relaxed the restriction would have ended.

On Nov. 24 of last year, the government added paper cups, plastic straws, and plastic stir sticks to its list of prohibited single-use items.

Violations of such regulations attract a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,300). In order to allow businesses and consumers to adjust to the new regulations, however, the government provided a yearlong grace period where it did not enforce the fine.

“We will help reduce the use of paper cups through recommendations and support rather than compulsory restrictions,” said Vice Environment Minister Lim Sang-jun during a press briefing at the Sejong government complex on Tuesday.

Instead of imposing fines, the government will consistently recommend that businesses utilize multiuse cups. It will also establish a system to gather paper cups at stores and recycle them.

The ministry said that it considered the financial burdens of small merchants amid the weakening economy in its decision.

It also will not impose fines on businesses that use plastic straws and stir sticks, citing the complaints of both customers and businesses regarding the inconvenience of substitutes such as paper straws.

Cafe owners protested that alternatives to plastic straws, including paper and biodegradable options, were two to four times more expensive, according to the ministry's press release.

Consumers have also complained that paper straws easily become soggy and add an unpleasant taste to drinks.

The one-year grace period will be extended indefinitely until “the quality of substitutional products improves and the cost of such items stabilizes.”

Restrictions on single-use plastic bags at markets, which were also scheduled to be officially banned on Nov. 24, will not go into effect.

The government will not fine people for using them but will continue encouraging the use of alternative bags.

Around 70 percent of plastic bags given out at the five major convenience stores — CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, Emart24, CSPACE24 — are already biodegradable, according to the Korea Association of Convenience Store Industry.

The Ministry of Environment’s abrupt shift from grand plans to restrict single-use plastic items sparked fierce criticism from civic groups.

“Some 83 percent of respondents said they agree with enhancing the restricted use of single-use products in a survey conducted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission,” Green Korea said in a statement.

“The main reason to regulate the use of paper cups is that they are thrown away after being used once,” the statement continued, criticizing the Korean government for its inaction while 24.8 billion paper cups per year are thrown away.

Korea Zero Waste Movement Network pointed out that disposing of paper cups can “add more plastic waste, as some of the cups are coated with plastic inside” following the ministry's announcement.

The vice environment minister acknowledged concerns over the withdrawal of the plans and emphasized that the ministry will come up with comprehensive measures to reduce the waste of single-use products.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]