By Kim Bo-eun
The Ministry of Environment said Monday that major bakery businesses will only provide disposable plastic bags upon request, in an effort to reduce waste and better protect the environment.
The ministry signed an agreement with two bakery businesses Paris Baguette and Tous les Jours Monday to adopt the plan at some 4,000 bakery chain stores across the nation starting April 1.
Along with the measure, the two businesses will designate at least two days a year on which they will not issue plastic bags to customers, and gradually increase the number of such days.
They also plan to host various events encouraging customers to bring their own bags to stores.
The ministry signed an agreement with major discount chains in 2010 to eliminate the use of disposable plastic bags.
Five discount chains — E-mart, Lotte Mart, Homeplus, Mega Mart and Nonghyup Hanaro Club Mart have customers pay for paper bags or plastic bags designated for throwing out in the trash instead.
Since the discount chains stopped selling plastic bags, 57.8 percent more customers are bringing their own bags, a report from the ministry showed.
Those packaging their groceries in boxes to send them home increased by 21.7 percent, and customers purchasing trash bags increased by 11.6 percent.
According to Lotte Mart, the sale of handcarts and shopping bags grew by 30 percent every year since 2010.
The ministry has had supermarkets affiliated with the larger discount chains adopt the same measures since Feb.1 last year.
Lotte Supermarket, Homeplus Express, GS Supermarket, Kim’s Club, E-mart Everyday have also stopped providing customers with disposable plastic bags.
The costs saved from reducing the use of disposable plastic bags were tallied at 7.5 billion won last September.
The ministry estimates that these efforts will help save some 3.3 billion won yearly in purchasing some 6.6 million plastic bags.
"It is meaningful that bakery businesses — which have been exempt from regulations in using disposable plastic bags — have decided to take part," said a ministry official.
"We hope that the measure will encourage citizens to reduce their use of disposable plastic bags."