The Korean government will no longer ban the use of disposable paper cups at restaurants and cafes. Regulations on the use of plastic straws in cafes will also be scrapped, announced the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday.
The move to withdraw bans came as the government took into consideration that small business owners would suffer from not being able to use disposable products and that no other country in the world regulates the use of paper cups in cafes.
Instead of fining businesses that continued using disposable products, the ministry said it would shift its policy to supporting businesses that voluntarily participated in abandoning the use of disposable paper cups, plastic straws, and plastic bags.
The ministry explained that "this way we will be able to reduce the use of disposable products while taking into account the difficulties of small businesses."
The ministry implemented a ban on disposable paper cups and plastic straws on Nov. 24 last year, noting that an average Korean citizen throws away roughly 13.6 kilograms of disposable products every year.
Government crackdowns and fines of up to 3 million won ($2000) were not imposed for violations for the past year however, as the ban was to take place after a one-year grace period.
"Even after a year-long transition period, we were not able to reach a consensus," an official from the ministry said. "We do not want to burden small business owners and self-employed individuals who are already suffering from rising costs, inflation, and high interest rates by imposing regulations."
The ministry pointed out that the ban on paper cups had forced restaurants and coffee shops to hire staff to wash reusable cups, such as mugs and glasses, and install washing machines. "Korea is the only country that regulates paper cups," said a ministry official.
Environmental groups have criticized the government for giving up on its efforts to reduce excessive usage of disposable products. The ministry, however, said it will continue to encourage the use of reusable cups and will implement a system where paper cups in stores will be collected and disposed of separately to promote recycling.
This article was originally published on Nov. 7, 2023.