This photo shows people picnicking at Yeouido Han River Park on April 17, 2022. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Plastic cups and containers will be banned from Han River parks starting in 2025. Even patrons at coffee shops who choose disposable cups will be charged a 300-won (US$0.22) deposit.
Public events organized by government institutions will be required to use multi-use containers, and facilities for separating and recycling waste will be expanded for single-family homes.
On Thursday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a comprehensive plan to reduce the explosive increase in plastic waste since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through these measures, the city aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated on a daily basis by 10 percent, from 2,753 tons in 2021 to 2,478 tons by 2026, while increasing the waste recycling rate from 69 percent to 79 percent.
In 2021, the city experienced a sharp increase in daily plastic waste, reaching 2,753 tons, marking an increase of over 200 percent compared to only 896 tons in 2014.
The substantial rise in daily plastic waste can be attributed to the proliferation of non-face-to-face lifestyles, driven by the expansion of delivery services and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the city government’s analysis, the average daily quantity of plastic waste jumped to 2,237 tons in 2019 from 1,353 tons in 2017.
If this growth trend continues, it is projected that by 2026, the annual volume of plastic waste will have increased by 40 percent compared to the current levels.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
