Busan Gijang-gun Implements Single-Use Plastic Ban... Strengthening On-Site Inspections and Promotion

Busan Gijang-gun will strengthen on-site guidance inspections and promotional activities to prevent confusion and damage to residents and business operators as the enhanced ‘Single-use Product Usage Regulation’ is fully implemented on November 24.

Although the ‘Single-use Product Usage Regulation’ system was strengthened in November 2022, expanding regulated items by industry, a one-year grace period was maintained to ensure stable implementation of the revised system and to reduce on-site burdens.

The newly expanded and strengthened measures include ▲single-use paper cups, plastic straws, and stirring sticks in food service businesses ▲single-use plastic umbrella covers in large-scale stores ▲single-use bags and shopping bags in general retail and bakery businesses ▲and the prohibition of single-use synthetic resin cheering items in sports facilities.

From November 24, violations of both existing prohibited items and newly added items will incur fines of up to 3 million KRW, depending on store size and number of violations.

However, cases where food is sold through vending machines, food is delivered, or customers take food away are not subject to the single-use product usage regulation.

Gijang County Office.

In preparation for the end of the grace period, Gijang-gun will send notices to food service businesses, collective catering facilities, large-scale stores, and sports facilities within the jurisdiction, post promotional materials on Gijang-gun’s SNS, website, and official newsletter, and engage in publicity activities such as hanging banners and producing leaflets to promote the single-use product usage regulation.

Jeong Jong-bok, the county governor, said, “We will strengthen continuous promotional activities to ensure that the single-use product usage regulation policy is established smoothly without confusion after the end of the grace period,” and added, “We ask residents and business operators to identify the prohibited items by industry and help create an atmosphere free of single-use products.”