Press Release
Purchase Fewer Disposable Bags, Return More Paper Cups
- Date:
- 2005-04-06
- View:
- 5,659
Growing number of customers are buying fewer paper shopping bags (48.6% in 2001 to 24.0% in 2004) at department stores and other large stores; returning more disposable cups (17.2% in the first half of 2003 to 30% in the second half of 2004) to fastfood restaurants and take-out coffee shops.
The Ministry of Environment released the result of the second half of past year on March 25, based on the data from businesses signed the ‘Voluntary agreement’ for reducing disposable products (25 fastfood restaurants and take-out coffee shops) and the businesses joined ‘Voluntary Practice Declaration’ for reducing disposable products (31 department stores and discount stores).
The ‘Voluntary Agreement’ is a system that applies to fastfood restaurants of more than 2846 square feet and take-out coffee shops of more than 1779 square feet to make them use mug cups instead of disposable paper cups and place deposits on take-out paper cups (refund the deposits when cups are returned).
The ‘Voluntary Practice Declaration’ is a system that applies to department stores and large discount stores to lower the use of disposable plastic and paper bags. The businesses charge 50 won for a plastic bag and 100 won for a paper bag and refund when the bags are brought back to them.
The sales amount of disposable cups stood at 32.8 million won (41,392 cups), and 9.86 million won amounting to 30% of the total was returned. Particularly, customers’ awareness that continued to increase each year contributed to the growing returning rate of disposable cups.
The Ministry of Environment plans to discuss measures to control the use of disposable cups and raise the cup-returning rate through a meeting with related businesses in April, 2005.
It also plans to have related businesses use the unreturned deposits for environment preservation projects such as recycling, and encourage them to post the result of used deposits on their home pages. If any businesses do not follow its plan, it plans to cancel the ‘Voluntary Agreement’ with them and reveal the name of the businesses.
The Ministry of Environment released the result of the second half of past year on March 25, based on the data from businesses signed the ‘Voluntary agreement’ for reducing disposable products (25 fastfood restaurants and take-out coffee shops) and the businesses joined ‘Voluntary Practice Declaration’ for reducing disposable products (31 department stores and discount stores).
The ‘Voluntary Agreement’ is a system that applies to fastfood restaurants of more than 2846 square feet and take-out coffee shops of more than 1779 square feet to make them use mug cups instead of disposable paper cups and place deposits on take-out paper cups (refund the deposits when cups are returned).
The ‘Voluntary Practice Declaration’ is a system that applies to department stores and large discount stores to lower the use of disposable plastic and paper bags. The businesses charge 50 won for a plastic bag and 100 won for a paper bag and refund when the bags are brought back to them.
The sales amount of disposable cups stood at 32.8 million won (41,392 cups), and 9.86 million won amounting to 30% of the total was returned. Particularly, customers’ awareness that continued to increase each year contributed to the growing returning rate of disposable cups.
The Ministry of Environment plans to discuss measures to control the use of disposable cups and raise the cup-returning rate through a meeting with related businesses in April, 2005.
It also plans to have related businesses use the unreturned deposits for environment preservation projects such as recycling, and encourage them to post the result of used deposits on their home pages. If any businesses do not follow its plan, it plans to cancel the ‘Voluntary Agreement’ with them and reveal the name of the businesses.
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