From today (the 1st), the use of disposable items in food service stores such as cafes and restaurants will be restricted again.
According to the Ministry of Environment, in food service stores such as cafes and restaurants, from today on, multi-use products, not single-use products, must be used.
This regulation applies to 18 items, including disposable cups, plates and containers, disposable tableware such as forks, spoons and knives, disposable wooden chopsticks and toothpicks, and disposable plastic tablecloths.
If you want to drink a drink inside the cafe, you have to get it in a mug, not a plastic cup.
Disposable bags and shopping bags cannot also be provided free of charge.
However, synthetic resin bags used to contain products that require separate storage due to paper material or powder generation are an exception.
Disposable paper cups, plastic straws, and stirrers will be added to the regulated single-use items starting November 24 and will be available until then.
However, the Ministry of Environment plans to proceed with guidance and guidance-centered guidance instead of crackdowns such as imposition of fines until the COVID-19 situation improves.
This is in consideration of the conflict between consumers and store employees who want to continue using disposable products, and concerns about the burden of fines on business owners. The Ministry of Environment has requested cooperation from local governments nationwide.
The Ministry of Environment enacted a law banning the use of disposable products in food service stores and has been in effect since August 2018.
However, as the generation of household waste increased during the COVID-19 period, it was decided to ban the use again to reduce the reckless use of disposable products.
However, the implementation has been postponed until today after a grace period in consideration of industry opinions.
With the enforcement of the notice, if disposable products are used, the local government may impose a fine for negligence again depending on the size of the store and the number of violations.
However, according to this guidance policy, rather than disposing of fines for negligence, the inspection will be focused on guidance and guidance for businesses.
Local governments are continuing to promote and guide these regulations on their own to prevent confusion in the field.
In addition, we are guiding customers to familiarize themselves with the relevant information, such as attaching posters related to reducing the use of single-use products in the workplace.
(Photo = Yonhap News)