Ministry of Environment Revises Notice on 'Exemptions from Single-Use Product Regulations'
From November This Year, Use of Paper Cups and Plastic Straws Also Prohibited
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] From April this year, the use of single-use plastic cups inside cafes will be banned. Although the use of single-use plastic cups was temporarily allowed as a preventive measure against COVID-19 spread, this restriction is now being reinstated.
On the 5th, the Ministry of Environment announced that it will revise the 'Exemptions from Single-Use Product Regulations' to include this change and officially notify it on the 6th.
The Ministry of Environment decided to apply the 'Exemptions from Single-Use Product Regulations' starting April 1st this year, allowing a grace period after reflecting industry opinions.
This decision follows the need to restore single-use product regulations in food service businesses, as local governments had allowed the use of single-use products due to COVID-19, and while general restaurants continue to use reusable spoons and bowls, cafes have been using single-use cups.
Additionally, the 'Enforcement Rules' that newly add paper cups and plastic straws and stirrers to the list of regulated items are scheduled to be enforced from November 24th this year.
Furthermore, plastic bags, which are currently banned in large stores (over 3,000㎡) and supermarkets (over 165㎡), will also be prohibited in convenience stores and bakeries. The use of plastic umbrella covers will be banned in large stores, and plastic cheering items will be prohibited in sports facilities.
Hong Dong-gon, Director of the Resource Circulation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, "Single-use products are convenient for immediate use but cause large amounts of waste and environmental pollution, hindering the transition to a circular economy society," and added, "We ask for the interest and efforts of related industries and the public to ensure that these revised regulations to reduce single-use products are well implemented in the field."
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