Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
INTERVIEW Gov't seeks to induce voluntary reduction of disposable product use
Environment Minister Han Wha-jin speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at Han River Flood Control Office in Seoul, Jan. 12. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Jung Da-hyun
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Reducing the use of disposable products depends on self-regulation by citizens and businesses rather than unilateral rules imposed by the government, Environment Minister Han Wha-jin said.
She said this year's government policies on single-use products will focus on encouraging such self-regulation, adding that it took into account the feasibility of relevant rules.
Her remarks came in response to criticism of the government's decision to withdraw a ban on single-use paper cups at cafes and restaurants.
"While regulations may temporarily reduce disposable products, sustained efficacy requires more than just regulating their use," Han said during an interview with The Korea Times on Jan. 12. "Individual awareness of reducing the use of disposable items is crucial for creating a long-term environmentally friendly impact."
The Ministry of Environment established a policy in 2019 to fight drastic increases in plastic and other disposable waste, followed by a decision in November 2022 to prohibit items like plastic straws and paper cups at restaurants and cafes with a one-year grace period.
However, on Nov. 7 of last year, the ministry announced a temporary halt to enforcing the regulations, drawing strong backlash for taking a step back from environmental protection.
The ministry explained that the decision was based on a failure to achieve a sufficient amount of social consensus during the one-year guidance period. It said the ban would place the burden of washing hundreds of cups a day on restaurants and cafe owners, who have already received customer complaints about the unpleasant taste of paper straws.
“Specifically, concerns regarding the use of paper straws as replacements for plastic straws were highlighted, with complaints about taste, sogginess, and cost,” Han said, highlighting the challenges the policy faced on-site.
A notice informs customers that plastic bags are no longer provided at a convenience store in Seoul, Nov. 23, 2022. Korea Times file
Instead of relying solely on unilateral regulations, the ministry plans to induce a reduction of disposable products through voluntary agreements this year.
Han reached agreements with coffee shops, fast-food restaurants, and confectioners on Thursday.
The focus of the voluntary agreement is to establish an environment where consumers can choose to reduce the use of plastic straws unless it is absolutely necessary.
“Implementing a strategy that prominently showcases paper straws while exclusively offering plastic straws to customers in need will create an environment conducive to fostering consumer engagement in reducing disposable items,” she said.
The image shows food delivered using reusable containers. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Government
While encouraging autonomy in the private sector, the ministry intends to strengthen regulations on disposable products in public sectors like local government offices.
“It is important to set a precedent through exemplary practices, particularly by public institutions such as local governments to propagate the minimized use of single-use products throughout society,” Han noted.
In July 2021, the environment ministry introduced guidelines aimed at curbing the utilization of disposable products at public institutions. The primary directive entails refraining from procuring and utilizing disposable items, as well as bottled water and beverages in plastic bottles, during meetings or events hosted by public institutions.
Recently, some local governments, such as the South Chungcheong Provincial Government and the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, have taken stricter measures.
The South Chungcheong Provincial Government has completely banned the use of disposable items inside the office building since June last year. The Gyeonggi Provincial Government has only permitted the delivery of food in reusable containers into their office buildings since November last year.
According to the minister, the ministry discussed ways to reduce disposable products at public institutions during a meeting with 17 metropolitan and provincial governments in November.
In pursuit of this initiative, the ministry has escalated its support for the adoption of reusable containers. The budget allocated for the reusable container scheme has seen a notable increase, climbing from 6.9 billion won ($5.15 million) in 2023 to 8.9 billion won in 2024.
Han emphasized the necessity of a more comprehensive approach to waste policies, advocating for utilizing waste as a raw material resource while focusing on reducing disposable products at the same time.
“As conditions evolve, policies governing waste and disposable products also require adaptation,” she said.
She also highlighted the government's pursuit of creating carbon-neutral model cities in collaboration with local governments.
This initiative plans to select two cities within this year and formulate a comprehensive carbon-neutral basic plan, and develop them as a model for other cities in the future.
The chosen cities will embark on projects incorporating diverse technologies. This includes constructing buildings equipped with technologies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and increasing structures that harness carbon-free energy.