Half of restaurants are providing single-use paper cups, and 75% of cafes and snack bars are using single-use straws or stirrers.
The 16 nationwide branches of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements announced on September 15 the results of their survey on the use of single-use products, conducted over two months from June to July with around 350 citizens at 2,353 food service establishments nationwide. The surveyed businesses included cafes and snack bars, general restaurants, karaoke bars, entertainment bars, catering services, bakeries, and other food service industries as defined under Article 21, Clause 8 of the Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act. The survey focused on seven main items, based on the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources: single-use paper cups, plastic cups, plates and containers, wooden chopsticks, spoons, forks and knives, vinyl tablecloths, and straws and stirrers.
Single-use paper cup usage rate at 48.3%... 3 out of 4 cafes and snack bars use single-use straws
The Ministry of Environment postponed the enforcement of single-use product regulations, initially scheduled for November 2022, by one year, and later withdrew regulations on paper cups, plastic bags, and plastic straws. While paper cups were excluded due to a lack of overseas regulatory examples, countries such as Germany and the Netherlands have already implemented strong regulations, including mandatory provision of reusable containers and environmental taxes.
The survey found that the nationwide average usage rate for single-use paper cups was 48.3%, meaning nearly half of the surveyed establishments use paper cups. In particular, the rate for general restaurants was 52.2%, with more than half of these businesses using paper cups. The nationwide average usage rate for single-use straws and stirrers was 19.3%, but in the case of cafes and snack bars, the rate reached 75.0%, meaning three out of four establishments use single-use straws or stirrers.
The Korea Federation for Environmental Movements pointed out, "Single-use paper cups, straws, and stirrers are items for which regulations were withdrawn after the guidance period. The survey results show that the usage rate of single-use products with withdrawn regulations is alarmingly high compared to those still regulated. This demonstrates how crucial government regulation is in controlling the use of single-use products."
Single-use plastic cup usage at 5.7% nationwide... 17.4% in cafes and snack bars
The nationwide average usage rate for single-use plastic cups was 5.7%, and for cafes and snack bars-the main users of these cups-it reached 17.4%. Despite restrictions on the use of single-use plastic cups inside stores, the usage rate remains high. Other items, such as single-use plates and containers, wooden chopsticks, and single-use spoons, forks, and knives, are also banned for in-store use, but still recorded usage rates of 3.1%, 4.6%, and 4.9%, respectively.
Single-use vinyl tablecloths, also banned for in-store use, showed a nationwide average usage rate of 6.5%. In general restaurants, the rate was 8.3%, but it was even higher in some regions: 20.0% in South Jeolla Province, 19.2% in North Chungcheong Province, and 15.8% in North Jeolla Province, indicating that habitual use persists in certain areas and business types.
Among the seven items banned or with withdrawn regulations for in-store use, 46.9% of all surveyed businesses were found to use at least one of these items. Including items outside the main categories, 82.9% of all establishments were found to use at least one single-use product. The most commonly provided item was wet wipes (83.8%), and 31 out of 1,014 businesses provided bottled water in PET bottles. Among items not directly provided but available for use, single-use aprons (37.5%) and wet wipes (32.8%) were the most common.
Yoo Hyein, senior activist at the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, stated, "These survey results highlight that the government's rollback of regulations is hindering change on the ground. We urge the government to immediately implement strong regulations to reduce plastic production and eliminate single-use products, and to consistently pursue circular economy policies that minimize waste generation."
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