As concerns mounted over a so-called "trash bag shortage" stemming from the Middle East war, the government said, "By basic local government, the inventory of finished goods of pay-as-you-throw trash bags averages at least three months nationwide, so there is no issue with stable supply."

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said on the 25th that 54% of basic local governments (123 out of 228 in total) hold "six months or more" of stock.

A notice limiting purchases of standard garbage bags to two per person is posted at a large supermarket in Dalseong County, Daegu, in the afternoon on the 25th. /Courtesy of News1

Recently, some retailers selling pay-as-you-throw bags nationwide have been slow to secure supplies, and signs of "panic buying" are emerging among consumers. As the Middle East war disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which cargo ships use, the supply chain for naphtha, a key raw material for plastic, temporarily tightened, fueling anxiety.

The ministry said, "In addition, the stock of recycled raw materials (PE) held by domestic recycling companies that can be additionally投入 is sufficient, exceeding last year's total sales of pay-as-you-throw bags," adding, "Considering that finished goods of pay-as-you-throw bags can be shared among local governments through coordination where inventory levels vary, there is no problem with stable supply."

Regarding some basic local governments limiting the number of pay-as-you-throw bags sold per person to below a certain level, it said, "This is a preemptive step to prevent panic buying prompted by anxiety over the Middle East war, and it is unrelated to supply stability."

The ministry said it will set up a joint task unit with local governments to monitor supply and demand, and, together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) and others, actively support the stable securing of raw materials for producing pay-as-you-throw bags.

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