Document Secured by Kang Deuk-gu, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea
The Ministry of Environment is reportedly considering a measure to mandate that disposable cups in cafes can only be sold for a fee.
On the 8th, at the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee's audit, Minister of Environment Kim Wan-seop is responding to a lawmaker's question. [Photo by Yonhap News]
According to an internal document from the Ministry of Environment obtained by Kang Deuk-gu, a member of the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the ministry is reviewing a plan to prohibit the free provision of disposable cups under the pretext of strengthening consumer "choice and responsibility." The main content is to use the revenue from disposable cup sales to cover the costs of disposable cup disposal and collection, or to mandate or recommend giving benefits to customers who use tumblers.
The Ministry of Environment anticipates that initial consumer backlash will be limited if free provision of disposable cups is banned, and believes that the usage of disposable cups can be reduced.
Additionally, the document includes a plan to revise the "Regulations on Reducing Disposable Products in Public Institutions" to allow heads of institutions to prohibit the introduction or sale of disposable cups within their institutions at their discretion. Disposable product regulations are broadly divided into "prohibition of use" and "prohibition of free provision."
For example, in the case of disposable bags and shopping bags, free provision is prohibited in retail businesses with store areas exceeding 33㎡, so selling them for a fee is possible. However, in general retail businesses such as convenience stores, use is prohibited, so provision is basically not allowed.
According to the internal document obtained by Assemblyman Kang, if the free provision of disposable cups is banned, the disposable cup deposit system will be changed to allow implementation by local governments or private voluntary initiatives. The plan is to introduce the system in regions committed to implementing the deposit system, like Jeju, and in large private facilities with high disposable cup usage such as baseball stadiums and amusement parks, to facilitate a smooth transition.
The disposable cup deposit system requires customers to pay a 300 won deposit to receive a drink in a disposable cup at a cafe, which is refunded upon returning the cup. Initially, it was scheduled to be implemented nationwide, but the Ministry of Environment scaled it down to Jeju and Sejong Administrative City in December two years ago, citing "burden on small business owners."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
