This Feb. 6, 2020, photo shows disposable cups provided to customers by a cafe in Naju, South Jeolla Province. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 5 (Korea Bizwire) — With South Korea’s retail industry actively promoting eco-friendly policies, the number of local consumers who are attempting to reduce the use of disposable items is also on the rise.
For the January to April period of this year, the hypermarket chain Lotte Mart saw sales of single-use cups and bowls including paper cups fall by 7.2 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively, compared to a year ago.
Instead, sales of tumblers jumped by 52.6 percent year on year, while sales of mugs and general tableware rose by 18.3 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively.
During the same period, E-Mart Inc., the country’s largest discount store chain operator, also saw sales of single-use disposable paper cups and wood chopsticks decline by 6.8 percent and 12 percent, respectively, while sales of insulated bottles jumped by 69.1 percent.
Sales of multi-use straws made of silicon or stainless steel, developed to replace single-use disposable straws, also grew by 12.6 percent year on year.
Major online shopping site Gmarket also reported similar buying patterns, with sales of paper cups and straws falling by 9 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
In contrast, sales of tumblers, eco bags and multi-use straws rose by 16 percent, 16 percent and 2 percent, respectively, during the January to April period.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
