Yoo Eun-hae, minister of education and deputy prime minister for society, announces new measures to better reduce disposable plastic waste during a society ministerial meeting at the Government Complex Sejong, Friday. Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



Starting in 2021, paper cups will be banned at cafes, restaurants and fast food stores and disposable takeaway containers will cost extra, according to the environment ministry, Friday.



In addition, bakeries and convenience stores will stop giving out single-use plastic bags in 2022, while plastic straws will be prohibited at restaurants, cafes and other dining facilities.



The plan was announced at a government meeting presided over by Yoo Eun-hae, minister of education and deputy prime minister for society, in an effort to reduce plastic waste. The government expects the ban will cut one-time plastic use by more than 35 percent by 2022.



The figure is higher than the central government's current goal, which aimed to cut plastic waste creation by 30 percent by 2022 and 50 percent by 2030 as well as raising the recycling rate to 70 percent by 2030 from 34 percent now.



Korea produced 120,000 tons of illegally dumped waste just this year, which prompted stronger policies to counter the problem.



The government plans to launch the "cup deposit system" in which a deposit will be needed for disposable cups and will be refunded on return. The bill is under review at the National Assembly.



A ban was first implemented in 2002, and disposable cup use dropped 36.7 percent within five years. However in 2008, the Lee Myung-bak administration lifted the ban, citing management issues in the system.



Working with the Ministry of Environment, 21 coffee franchises banned plastic cups in their stores last year.



The result was significant: the 21 franchises used 206 tons of plastic containers in July 2018, but this dropped to 58 tons for April this year, a 72 percent decrease.



Disposable food utensils provided for free with food delivery will also be banned starting 2021, but the government will allow these to be purchased with the order.



The government is looking at ways to switch from disposable plates and containers to multiuse products.



Starting in 2022, general merchandizing stores and bakeries will be banned from providing plastic bags, and the government plans to expand the entities that will be restricted by 2030. Currently, stores over 3,000 square meters and supermarkets that cover 165 square meters are banned from using the products.



Starting next year, bans on plastic straws, stir sticks and plastic umbrella covers at government buildings will be gradually applied to large enterprises and stores around 2022.



Before Starbucks introduced paper straws in November 2018, the American franchise used more than 15 million plastic straws annually in Korea alone, but that number has nearly halved since then.



Starting 2022, complementary one-time use hygiene products will also be banned at lodging industries that have over 50 rooms and expanded gradually to include all lodging facilities by 2024.



"The plan is meaningful as it is focused on resolving fundamental waste issues and helping in ways to reduce it," said Lee Young-ki, deputy director of resource circulation at the environment ministry. "We will become the backbone so that our country can become a society that could continuously be able to recycle."



