As the government pushes a plan to charge separately for disposable cups at cafes and other places, voices of concern are emerging from various sectors. While there is agreement with the aim of reducing plastic use, there is doubt about whether it will work properly on the ground.
The policy to charge separately for disposable cups when drinking beverages at cafes was announced on the 17th when the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment gave a policy briefing to the president. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment plans to revise the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources next year to ban free provision of disposable cups at cafes and other places starting in 2027. If violated, business owners could face fines and other penalties.
According to the retail industry on the 21st, right after talk emerged about switching to charging for plastic disposable cups to reduce their use, consumer groups and others expressed concern that prices for coffee and other beverages would rise. The policy is being pursued on the premise that reducing the use of plastic disposable cups is necessary to drive change for environmental protection, but many expect inconvenience and side effects.
Currently, for example, the price of a 3,800-won Americano included the cost of the disposable cup. If a phaseout-of-plastic policy is implemented, it would make sense to lower the coffee price to 3,600 won and add only 200 won for the cup, but in reality, it is highly likely that 200 won for the disposable cup will be added to the 3,800-won Americano and sold for 4,000 won. Hong Su-yeol, head of the Resource Circulation Society Institute, said, "Because it is unclear how to distinguish between the cup price and the beverage cost, only the coffee price could go up."
In the franchise industry, there is concern about how to calculate the price of disposable cups. Some have precise supply prices, but others pass costs to franchisees combined with other ingredients. The fact that disposable cup prices vary widely by franchise is also a headache. An official at a franchise company said, "The price at which we procure disposable cups and pass them on to franchisees will inevitably vary slightly by company, and we are uncomfortable with that part being disclosed."
Among small business owners with smaller establishments, there is talk that pricing for consumers will become more difficult. That is because they had discounted about 1,000 won for takeout customers who did not use the premises. They considered cleanup expense and table turnover, among other factors. But if a price is attached to disposable cups, the scope of discounts returned to consumers will inevitably shrink. A self-employed person in Gayang-dong, Gangseo District, Seoul, said, "By discounting for takeout customers, we had price competitiveness against low-cost franchise coffee, but if the phaseout-of-plastic policy is implemented, we will have to recalculate."
The fact that there was significant confusion when the mandatory paper straw system was introduced and then deferred in the past is another reason for growing concern about the phaseout-of-plastic policy. In particular, the scope is broad this time, as not only disposable cups but also paper cups are included in the ban on free provision.
An employee at a kids' cafe in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, said, "Parents need to use paper cups to order drinks and give small portions to their young children," and added, "If we replace all of these with dishes, both owners and customers will be inconvenienced. They are saying we cannot provide paper cups for free either, so the amount of dishwashing could increase dramatically."
Lee Jae-myung, who received the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment's policy briefing on the 17th, also recognizes that there could be complaints on the ground. Immediately after the briefing, Lee said, "When making a system, you have to consider all factors such as feasibility and public convenience, but if you consider only the necessity, resistance arises, criticism follows, and trust in the policy suffers." He added, "There are many such aspects in environmental policy, but I hope you pay particular attention."
Previously, policies to reduce consumption of plastic disposable cups were implemented under the Moon Jae-in administration. At the time, when receiving a beverage in a disposable cup, consumers paid a 300-won deposit and received it back when they returned the cup under the "disposable cup deposit scheme." However, as complaints grew from both owners and consumers that it was inconvenient, it became nominal under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
Jang Yong-cheol, a professor of environmental engineering at Chungnam National University, said, "We need to pursue various policies in parallel to solve the problem of excessive use of disposable products," and added, "A flexible approach is necessary."