On January 24, 2022, the South Korean Ministry of Environment announced it was implementing a deposit scheme for disposable cups from chain cafes and restaurants beginning June 10, 2022. Customers of chains with more than 100 stores in South Korea will pay 300 KRW (0.25 USD, 0.22 EUR) per disposable cup. Cups can be returned to any franchise included in the deposit system. The Ministry is designating standards for plastic cold cups and paper hot cups to ensure high-quality recycling ability. Approximately 80% of disposable cups sold in South Korea will be covered by the new system.
According to the Ministry announcement, “the main material for plastic cups should be polyethylene terephthalate [(PET, CAS 25038-59-9)], colorless and transparent” with no printing on the outside to ensure “that the cup can be recycled in high quality.” Contamination of food-grade PET during recycling has led to shortages and difficulties in other regions (FPF reported). Surface printing on paper cups for hot beverages “should be minimized” and the cups are allowed to have an inner coating only if it “does not cause any recycling issue to paper companies.”
Reporting from The Korea Herald states that “eateries will also be banned from using disposable cups at stores and encouraged to reuse items for deliveries.” Also, “big stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and bakeries will be prohibited from using plastic bags starting on November 24.” These and other initiatives by the Ministry of Environment are part of South Korea’s “road map to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.”
In September 2021, South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced intentions to review plastic food packaging recycling guidelines “to further promote recycling” (FPF reported).
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Ministry of Environment (January 26, 2022). “Government to charge KRW 300 deposit per disposable cup starting from June 10 of this year.”
Yonhap (January 18, 2022). “Cafes, fast-food chains to receive deposits for disposable cups from June: environment ministry.” The Korea Herald
Im Eun-byel (January 18, 2022). “Korea to go in full force for 2050 carbon neutrality.” The Korea Herald
