Starting the year after next, if you take a drink to go in a disposable cup from cafes or restaurants, you will have to pay separately for the cup. If you use a tumbler or other reusable cup, a discount will be offered, and if you choose a disposable cup, you will bear an additional expense.
Minister Kim Sung-hwan of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on the 17th proposed a "cup price payment system" as part of measures to move away from plastic during a policy briefing to the president. Kim said, "Under the cup price payment system, the cup price is expected to be in the 100–200 won range, and shop owners can set it at their discretion," adding, "The minimum expense should be set at a price higher than the cup supply cost."
The cup price payment system is expected to be implemented after the end of 2027. An official at the climate ministry said, "We need to revise the current law, and cafes also need time to prepare for the cup price payment system," adding, "The comprehensive plan to move away from plastic will be finalized in early next year."
Currently, the climate ministry is piloting a "disposable cup deposit system" only in Sejong and Jeju. When consumers order a drink, they pay 300 won to receive it in a reusable cup, and if they return the used cup to a community center or a store of the same brand, they get the deposit back. The goal is to boost the use of reusable cups, but the cup return rate in the pilot areas of Sejong and Jeju remains at 51%. On this, President Lee Jae-myung said it "seems like desk-bound administration."
The disposable cup deposit system was introduced in 2020 through a revision of the Resources Recycling Act during the Moon Jae-in administration. A nationwide rollout was initially slated for June 2022, but the Yoon Suk-yeol administration postponed implementation, citing the burden on small business owners.