As Middle East tensions escalate, Koreans turn to unlikely staple — plastic bags

A notice limiting purchases of trash bags to one per customer is posted at a supermarket in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

On Thursday, Park Soon-ok, 67, tried to order 200 plastic bags for her stall selling tteokbokki (spicy simmered rice cakes) next to central Seoul's Cheonggye Stream. What she didn't expect was that Middle East tensions, which have been escalating since last month, would disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and leave her empty-handed.

“My suppliers told me they couldn't get plastic bags,” Park told The Korea Times, Friday. “They said, even if the war ends today, it would take six weeks for stock to come in. I may run out of my stock in about two weeks. After that, I don't know [where to get the bags].”

Park's story illustrates a growing concern among Korean consumers and businesses over potential essential goods shortages, mostly of garbage and plastic bags, amid fears that the Middle East conflict is choking shipping routes and disrupting supplies of naphtha — a key raw material for plastic production.

Korea introduced its volume-based waste fee system in 1995, requiring households to buy government-issued bags for general waste disposal. The bags range from 2 to 100 liters, with a 10-liter bag typically running a few hundred won (less than $1) depending on the municipality.

A shortage would not halt trash collection, as the bags are simply a way of charging residents for how much waste they produce.

A vending machine selling trash bags remains empty except for racks for special-type waste in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Korea imports 45 percent of its naphtha demand, with 77 percent sourced from the Middle East, making it particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions from the conflict.

As concerns over the shortage grew, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy enforced a five-month ban on naphtha exports starting Friday, with exceptions requiring ministerial approval. President Lee Jae Myung also ordered the garbage bags be made from recycled materials rather than imported feedstock in case the situation drags on, Lee Kyu-yeon, presidential secretary for public relations and communication, said Wednesday.

However, these measures were not enough to relieve concerns, and some Koreans have been rushing to stock up.

Kim Dong-young, 29, bought 10 packs of 20-liter garbage bags last week. “I'm not sure it was necessary since the supply situation hasn't changed much,” Kim said. “But at least I don't have to worry about running out.”

Lee Sang-wook, a 32-year-old office worker, said reading about the potential shortage made him think of mask shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I haven't stocked up yet, because I use only about one 10-liter bag a week — but I'd buy dozens if things get worse,” he said.

Others, however, said they saw no reason to buy in bulk.

Kim Jae-woo, a 28-year-old office worker, said he trusted the government to sort it out. “This isn't COVID-19 — it's just garbage bags,” Kim said, adding that if supplies ran out, he would use any plastic bag and deal with it once the shortage passed.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Wednesday that bag supplies remain stable, adding that 54 percent of the country's 228 local governments currently hold six or more months of stock.

Local governments facing shortages can share supplies across borders, the ministry said, as most inventory is stored as unprinted rolls without regional labeling. Recycling companies also hold enough recycled polyethylene to produce 1.83 billion bags — more than the 1.78 billion sold nationwide in 2024, it added.