"Shopping Bags Are Also Plastic" Large Mart Shopping Bag Rentals Frustrate Citizens

Large Supermarkets Stop Providing Packaging Tape and Strings Since the 1st
Some Stores Offer Shopping Bag and Plastic Box Rental Services
Citizens Criticize, "It Rather Encourages Plastic Use"
Resource Circulation Society Calls for Fundamental Reduction Measures

A large supermarket located in Jung-gu, Seoul. Citizens are transferring purchased items into boxes at the self-packaging station. Photo by Kay Kim katekim221@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] "Isn't it contradictory to say you're eliminating plastic but then offer plastic shopping bags?"

On the 10th, Mr. A, a man in his 40s whom we met at a large supermarket in Jung-gu, Seoul, expressed his inability to understand the supermarket's shopping bag rental service.

Mr. A said, "I tried using a box when I went shopping last week, but when I put heavy items at the bottom, the overlapping parts didn't hold. As soon as I lifted the box, everything spilled out." He added, "So today, I brought a shopping bag from home. I also keep extra shopping bags in the trunk."

He continued, "While waiting at the checkout, I noticed many others seemed uncomfortable using paper boxes. Everyone was renting large shopping bags at the supermarket," and raised his voice, saying, "I'm really curious about how they will handle those plastic bags now. They say they're reducing plastic use, but their actions seem to encourage plastic use."

Since the 1st, large supermarkets such as E-Mart, Lotte Mart, and Homeplus have stopped providing packaging tape and strings. Initially, paper boxes were also to be eliminated, but since paper boxes are recyclable and consumers raised concerns about inconvenience, paper boxes continue to be provided.

Accordingly, consumers must fold the bottom parts of the paper boxes to use them. Consumers have voiced complaints, saying, "The box can't support heavy items." In response to these complaints, some supermarkets have started selling and renting reusable shopping bags and boxes. Consumers can rent large shopping bags after paying a deposit of around 3,000 to 4,000 won.

Posts titled "Alternative service following the ban on self-packaging boxes at large supermarkets" have spread across various online communities. According to these posts, one large supermarket posted a notice stating that "plastic boxes are available for rent." Netizens responded with comments like, "Every household will end up having several of those boxes," and "Wouldn't switching box tape to paper solve this? This seems to cause more environmental pollution."

B, a 29-year-old office worker, said, "I have several shopping bags rented for 500 won each from large supermarkets piled up at home," adding, "When shopping bags or boxes are rented or sold to consumers, instead of one being used multiple times, one person ends up having several."

He added, "They removed strings and tape but ended up with plastic shopping bags. Considering that, I'm not sure if this is truly effective in protecting the environment."

Notice posted at a large supermarket located in Jung-gu, Seoul
Photo by Kay Kim katekim221@asiae.co.kr

Research has also shown that the overproduction of reusable items like eco-bags and tumblers promotes environmental pollution.

Last year, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency announced research findings that cotton eco-bags need to be used at least 7,100 times to protect the environment better than using plastic bags. Especially for organic cotton materials, it was analyzed that they need to be reused over 20,000 times to have an environmental protection effect.

Also, according to a report last year by the Institute for Life Cycle Energy Analysis in the United States, ceramic tumblers reduce environmental pollution when used more than 39 times. Plastic and glass materials need to be used at least 17 and 15 times, respectively.

The Resource Circulation Society Alliance suggested the continuous development of alternatives to disposable products.

In a statement last November, the alliance said, "It is necessary to strive to prevent the increase in disposable product usage through comprehensive plans including continuous management and development of alternatives," adding, "While banning disposable products is important, continuous development of alternatives is necessary."

They also pointed out, "Although efforts are being made to induce substitution with eco-friendly materials to reduce plastic waste, eco-friendly materials are also disposable products, so fundamental reduction measures are needed."

In a statement issued jointly with the Korean Environmental Conference last December, they criticized, "Using empty boxes to fundamentally reduce plastic use is a prime example of desk-bound administration without sufficient investigation," and pointed out, "Shopping bags are made of plastic, and if people buy shopping bags every time they forget to bring one, plastic shopping bags will overflow in every household."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.