[Report] "We Must Consider the Environment" A Cafe Without Disposable Cups... Will the 'Eco-Friendly Experiment' Succeed?

Seoul City Launches 'Cafe Single-Use Item Phase-Out Project'... Providing Reusable Cups Instead of Disposable Cups
Citizens Generally Support the Eco-Friendly Initiative

A reusable cup return machine set up at the Korea Press Center branch in Jongno-gu, Seoul. When you return a cup, you can get a refund in cash or other forms. Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] "It seems okay if we think about the environment," "We need to pay a bit more attention to hygiene issues."

Seoul City has launched the 'Cafe Disposable Items Elimination Project.' While citizens showed unfamiliarity with the culture of collecting reusable cups, they generally responded positively, agreeing with the environmental protection purpose.

The use of disposable cups in Korea is at a serious level. According to 'The Temptation of Disposable in Plastic Korea' released by the international environmental organization Greenpeace in December 2019, about 3.3 billion plastic cups are consumed annually in Korea, amounting to approximately 45,900 tons.

The environmental destruction and animal suffering caused by plastic are already widely known facts. In particular, the sea turtle found off the coast of Costa Rica in August 2015 with a straw stuck in its nose shocked the world.

The turtle found at that time was suffering even to breathe. The straw, about 10-12 cm long, did not come out at once, and the turtle struggled in pain. Fortunately, after the straw was removed, the turtle returned to the sea, but it could face similar dangers again at any time.

As campaigns to reduce disposable items, mostly made of plastic, spread, Seoul City started a pilot project on the 6th targeting about 20 cafes, including 12 Starbucks stores near Seoul City Hall, to eliminate disposable cups.

All beverages sold at these stores are served in store mugs, personal cups, or reusable cups that require a 1,000 KRW deposit. The reusable cups are operated by renting and returning them to collection machines, after which they are collected, washed, and reused.

The collected reusable cups are thoroughly cleaned through seven steps at specialized washing facilities: △inspection of external condition △pre-washing △disinfection soaking △high-pressure automatic washing △removal of moisture and natural drying △UV sterilization drying. When returning reusable cups, the deposit can be refunded in cash, Starbucks points, or Happy Habit Eco Points.

Because of this, some confusion occurred at cafes near Seoul City Hall. Customers ordering takeout at the counter were not given disposable cups individually, and the policy explanation that a 1,000 KRW deposit was required for reusable cups lengthened the ordering time.

Citizens visiting cafes generally responded positively, agreeing with the environmental purpose. Park, a person in their 20s working near City Hall, said, "Since there are only a few pilot stores, it's a bit inconvenient to have to come back here to return the reusable cup," but added, "The purpose of reducing plastic is good."

Choi, a worker in their 50s, said, "This system is new and interesting. It’s a bit difficult, but the staff helped with the reusable cup return machine, so it wasn’t inconvenient," and added, "You get the 1,000 KRW back when you return it, and since it’s good for the environment, it would be good to participate."

In pilot stores, when using the Starbucks app to order (Siren Order), you can choose the 'Reusable Cup'. Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

The Starbucks app’s ordering system (Siren Order) also changed the options. When ordering via Siren Order at pilot stores, the cup selection option that previously included 'disposable cup' now shows 'reusable cup.' A note below states, 'A 1,000 KRW deposit will be added when selecting a reusable cup.' The amount is automatically added.

According to Starbucks, the expected reduction in disposable cups through 12 Starbucks stores in Seoul operating without disposable cups within this year is about 500,000 cups. Earlier, four Starbucks stores in Jeju that conducted a reusable cup pilot project reduced disposable cup use by about 200,000 cups in three months.

Some point out that the key to establishing this reusable cup culture is the cup return rate. If cups are not returned, it is equivalent to selling disposable cups for 1,000 KRW. It is known that the reusable cup collection rate at the four Starbucks stores in Jeju was only 45%.

There are also opinions that some drinks are difficult to clean. An employee at Starbucks Korea Press Center branch responded to the criticism that drinks with cream, such as Frappuccinos, are inconvenient to clean by saying, "A washing machine will soon be introduced. It will automatically clean the cups to assist with reusable cup returns."

Meanwhile, Seoul City expects to reduce 500,000 disposable cups annually. Regarding hygiene and other issues, they stated they will manage hygiene carefully through high-temperature washing, sterilization, and bacterial testing to ensure no problems arise.