Stores weaned off plastic bags
Restrictions on big retailers offering plastic bags went into full effect Monday, and the public
response has been generally favorable except for older customers.
After three months of testing, the Ministry of Environment began to fine certain retailers up to
3 million won ($2,700) if they are found to have offered plastic bags. The move was part of
the government’s efforts to promote recycling and save resources.
Discount marts, supermarkets larger than 165 square meters (1,776 square feet) in size,
department stores and shopping mall complexes nationwide are subject to the regulation.
The retailers can sell customers recycling bags to carry their groceries.
Customers’ responses to the regulation were generally positive, with many
welcoming the change.
“I expected to receive complaints, but I was surprised to find that most shoppers
willingly embraced the change,” said a vegetable seller at a department store in western Seoul.
“When I tried to explain the ban on plastic bag usage, many of them said they were aware of
the change due to repeated media exposure.”
A source from the industry attributed discount marts’ earlier adoption of restrictions of plastic
bags since 2017 as the reason people reacted so positively.
But not everyone was happy with the regulation.
“Older people generally don’t seem to be happy with the change,” said another worker in the
fresh produce section at the department store. “On the first day, some of them became angry
and yelled [at us] for not handing out plastic bags.”
There’s also some confusion about plastic bags that are allowed.
Plastic bags can be used to package food that can leak like fish, meat or tofu. Items that
can melt such as ice cream or mud-covered vegetables are also exempt from the regulation.
But stores are offering different exceptions to different items.
A shopper who was packaging a bunch of bananas with a plastic bag at a discount mart in
western Seoul was told not to use the bag.
At another retail store in western Seoul, workers were freely handing out plastic bags to
shoppers who were trying to purchase bananas.
“The guidelines we received from the government aren’t very specific yet,” said a source
from the industry. “There are discussions [among industry insiders and the government]
on specifying which items to offer exemptions, but until then, it seems possible for different
operators to offer slightly different exemptions.”