An empty classroom in Borame Elementary School in Seoul, on May 15, 2020. On each desk is a box of wet tissues ahead of the school’s reopening. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 7 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study revealed that a majority of consumers who use disposable wet tissues for cleaning and sanitization purposes are not aware that wet tissues are made of plastic.
Consumers Korea, a consumer advocacy group here, conducted a survey of 636 consumers over 20 years of age to determine how many wet tissues they use each day.
Among the respondents, 58.8 percent said they use one of two sheets daily, followed by three to five sheets (17.1 percent), five to 10 sheets (10.4 percent), and more than 10 sheets (4.3 percent). Another 9.4 percent said they don’t use wet tissues at all.
At 39.8 percent, more than one third said they use wet tissues to clean desks or tables, while 36 percent said they use them to wipe the floor. Roughly one quarter said they use them for personal sanitation.
While the majority of consumers use wet tissues in their everyday life, only 34.9 percent were aware that wet tissues are made of plastic, while 43.4 percent incorrectly thought that wet tissues are made of paper, and 21.7 percent thought they are made of fiber.
Most wet tissues sold in the commercial market are made of polyester, a type of plastic, and cannot be recycled, Consumers Korea explained.
“Using wet tissues means that we are contributing to the destruction of the ecosystem and the environment,” Consumers Korea said.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
