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Earlier this year, the government announced that it would ban the use of disposable items in cafes again from April.

However, two days before the implementation, confusion arises.

When the transition committee objected, saying that self-employed people who are struggling with the corona virus should be considered, the Ministry of Environment immediately backed down saying that it would not crack down for the time being.



Environmental reporter Jang Se-man listened to the voice of the field.



<Reporter> In



preparation for the resumption of disposable cup regulations, this cafe has completely changed the way it manages cups since last week.



The cup management was entrusted to a professional company that collects, cleans, and delivers the reusable cups.



It costs 100 won per cup, which is slightly more expensive than disposable cups, but it saves labor costs for washing dishes and builds an eco-friendly image.



[Han Seung-hee/Cafe owner: Because it is sterilized through a professional management company, it can be used more hygienically (rather than washing in a store).]



However, few places like this, and most cafe owners are against it.



They prefer large-capacity coffee than in the past, and they take the leftover coffee even after drinking it at the store, so they have to put it back in a disposable cup anyway.



[Cafe owner: Now, it's different from the past, so I don't sit down and eat shit in a mug.

All of these customers say they want to drink in these paper cups and disposable cups for takeout.]



Although the Ministry of Environment was aware of this backlash, it has announced that it will ban its use from next month as scheduled because there is too much waste.



He also said that the only thing to do is to normalize the regulations that have been in effect since 2003 but were suspended due to the corona crisis.



However, this one word from Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the acquisition committee.



[Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo/Presidential transition chairperson (last 28th): I wonder why the self-employed bosses have to make more difficult policies now.]



As soon as these words came out, the Ministry of Environment suggested a policy reservation, and even if we use disposable products until the corona gets better It has been officially announced that there will be no fines for negligence.



Only cafes that actively prepared for the ban on the use of cups are at a disadvantage.



[Kim Mi-hwa/Chairman of the Resource Circulation Society: You know that multi-use containers are used in restaurants.

However, there have been no cases of infection (coronavirus).

I don't think it makes sense (regulation suspension) because of unscientific things.] As the



government broke the policy coherence itself, it became a situation where both cafes and consumers were confused about whether it was a mug or a disposable cup.



(Video editing: Kim Byung-jik, VJ: Park Hyun-woo)