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| ▲ Stacks of paper cups are seen on a table at a restaurant in Seoul on Nov. 7, 2023. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This file photo shows recyclable waste under processing at a recycling center in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) disposable items-regulations
(LEAD) Gov't scraps plan to ban single-use paper cups at cafes, restaurants
(ATTN: UPDATES with civic reactions in last 6 paras; ADDS photo)
By Park Boram
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- The environment ministry on Tuesday called off a plan to ban disposable paper cups at cafes and restaurants while also extending the grace period for another ban on plastic straws at cafes, officials said Tuesday.
The ministry's announcement came ahead of the scheduled expiration of the grace periods in November for the bans on single-use paper cups at eateries and cafes, as well as the use of plastic cups and bags at convenience stores and cafes.
A violation would have resulted in a fine of up to 3 million won (US$2,292) after the end of the grace period.
Under the revisions, cafes and restaurants are no longer prohibited from serving beverages in single-use paper cups to dine-in customers while the ban on plastic cups will remain in place.
Until further notice, law enforcement will not be conducted on the use of plastic straws and bags at cafes and convenience stores, according to the revisions.
The government had previously introduced these environment regulations to fight drastic increases in plastic and other disposable waste.
The latest decision is expected to draw condemnation from environmentalists as well as opposition criticism that it may be intended to bolster voter support ahead of the general elections in April.
The environment ministry said the decision was made in consideration of the difficulties faced by small merchants amid rising inflation and interest rates.
"It's not right for the government to impose additional burdens on small merchants and the self-employed already hurt by rising raw material and living prices and difficult economic conditions," Vice Environment Minister Lim Sang-jun said in a briefing.
The vice minister explained that banning disposable cups is forcing cafe owners to employ dishwashers at additional costs, while paper straws, an alternative to plastic ones, are less customer-friendly despite being 2.5 times more expensive.
Tuesday's decision was hailed by associations of small business owners as taking a burden off them.
The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise welcomed it as "the right decision that will help lessen the load of small merchants faced with increasing costs, workforce difficulties and tensions with customers."
"Such regulations had been mounting challenges to small merchants at a time no necessary settings have been established for bans on disposable items," the group said, pledging voluntary efforts to cut waste.
Environment groups deplored the decision, saying it runs against the escalating global efforts to cut down plastic waste.
Green Korea United said in a statement, "Forgoing the regulations amounts to a neglect of its duties when about 24.8 billion paper cups are used each year."
"The measure on plastic straws is wrong. The international community is discussing a convention on ending plastic-related pollution," it said, stressing that the ban on plastic bags proved to be effective in reducing plastic bag use by big-box stores and others from 3,810 tons in 2017 to 660 tons in 2022.
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