Staff Also Say "Oh, That's Fine Now"... Cafes Flooded with Disposable Cups Amid Confusing Regulations [What Do You Think?]

Back and Forth... Confusing In-Store Disposable Cup Regulations
Disposable Cups Still Provided in Stores
Repeated Tightening and Loosening Leaves Owners Confused
Rising Number of Cafes, Insufficient Enforcement Staff

"You can drink from a disposable cup in the store."

Although the government has banned the use of disposable cups inside stores, the regulation is not being properly enforced at the ground level. Frequent changes in regulations have caused confusion among business owners, and in many cases, it is difficult to comply due to the circumstances of each store. Experts point out that confusion can only be reduced if the enforcement standards are clearly defined.

On the 11th, a citizen is drinking a beverage with a plastic disposable cup at a cafe in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seungwook Park

On the afternoon of September 11, at a cafe in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, beverages intended for consumption inside the store were served in disposable cups. When asked whether disposable cups could be used inside the store, a staff member replied, "It's fine." In reality, all ten or so customers inside the cafe were using disposable cups.

The situation was similar at another nearby cafe. When a customer received a beverage in a disposable cup and sat down, a staff member informed the customer, "If you are staying in the store, I can give you a mug," but the customer replied, "I'm just waiting for a taxi, so I won't be here long."

According to the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources, providing disposable cups in stores can result in a fine of up to 3 million won. The government banned their use inside stores in 2018, and in 2022 expanded the regulation to include plastic straws and paper cups. However, in 2023, some of these restrictions were relaxed, allowing plastic straws and paper cups to be used again.

As the regulations have repeatedly tightened and loosened in a short period, confusion among business owners has grown. Lee Seoyoung (33), who runs a cafe in Seoul, said, "Many owners think disposable cups are allowed because they heard the regulations were relaxed," and added, "I only learned that using disposable cups inside the store is still prohibited after receiving a recent notice from the local government."

On the 11th, citizens are drinking beverages from plastic disposable cups at a cafe in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seungwook Park

Even when business owners are fully aware of the regulations on disposable cups, it can be difficult to comply in practice. At a cafe in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, visited on August 23, plastic disposable cups were openly provided to customers. A cafe staff member explained, "When there is a rush of customers on weekends, using reusable cups means it takes much longer to wash them, and customers have to wait longer for their drinks, so we provide plastic disposable cups."

Customer requests also make it difficult to enforce the regulations. One cafe owner said, "Even if I offer to switch a customer's drink to a mug after they've received a disposable cup, many say things like, 'I'm leaving soon.' As a business owner, it's hard to be firm, and in the end, it becomes awkward to bring it up again."

With the rapid increase in the number of cafes, local governments are struggling to enforce the regulations. According to the National Tax Service, the number of cafes nationwide rose from 79,000 in July 2021 to 94,947 as of this July. In reality, there is a shortage of manpower and time, making it difficult to inspect every store. An official from the Seocho-gu Office said, "Even if we conduct surprise inspections after receiving reports, it is not easy to enforce the rules due to the shortage of reusable cups or the difficulty of washing them when there are many customers."

Hong Suyeol, director of the Resource Recycling Economy Research Institute, said, "It is only natural for small business owners to feel confused as disposable product regulations are repeatedly tightened and relaxed," and emphasized, "The enforcement standards must be clarified, such as whether the business is at fault when a takeout customer uses a disposable cup inside the store."