Environment Secretary "Forcing Disposable Cup Deposit, Not the Best"

Environment Minister Kim Wan-seop reaffirmed his position that he has no plans to expand the disposable cup deposit system across the country, defining it as a regulation that is difficult to keep.

Minister Kim made the remarks today after visiting a cafe in Jeju to inspect the site of a disposable cup deposit system.

He also said that efforts to reduce and recycle disposable cups should continue without interruption, but it is not the best way to enforce regulations that are difficult for the people to keep across the country in a uniform manner.

The government will then adjust regulations and provide financial support to reduce and recycle disposable products to suit local characteristics, it added.

The disposable cup deposit system, which requires a deposit to be paid when a beverage is received in a disposable cup at a cafe and returns it when the cup is returned, was scheduled to be implemented nationwide in June 2022, but it was reduced only in Jeju and Sejong due to the burden of small business owners.

Recently, the Ministry of Environment made it official that it has no plans to expand the system nationwide during the parliamentary audit and said it would push for local governments to implement it with ordinances or agreements according to conditions.