Reusable Straws and Biodegradable Plates... Expansion of Eco-Friendly Consumption

Large Mart Sees Decline in Single-Use Sales... Thermos Bottles and Eco-Friendly Containers Surge
CU Offers Half-Bleached Pulp Paper Cups... GS25 Provides Biodegradable Straws

CU's GET Coffee Kraft Cup.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] As the distribution industry actively promotes eco-friendly management by launching label-free bottled water and reducing packaging materials, the number of consumers reducing the use of disposable products has also significantly increased.

According to the distribution industry on the 4th, from January to April, sales of disposable cups such as paper cups at Lotte Mart decreased by 7.2% compared to the same period last year. Sales of disposable containers made of Styrofoam also dropped by 3.6%. On the other hand, tumbler (thermal bottle) sales increased by 52.6%, and sales of mugs (18.3%) and regular tableware (10.5%) also rose. At E-Mart during the same period, sales of paper cups and wooden chopsticks fell by 6.8% and 12%, respectively, while thermos bottle sales surged by 69.1%. Sales of reusable straws made of silicone or stainless steel, developed as alternatives to disposable straws, increased by 12.6%. Eco-friendly containers such as polylactic acid (PLA) plates, which are biodegradable and made from plant-based materials like corn starch, also sold 23% more.

Not only large supermarkets but convenience stores are also reducing disposable product sales or replacing them with eco-friendly products. CU became the first in the industry to completely switch all PB bottled water packaging to label-free transparent PET bottles. Product information such as product name, essential markings including volume, source of water, and mineral content are printed on the sealing label on the bottle cap. When the cap is opened, the label separates, making recycling easier, and the amount of vinyl used to produce the label is reduced to about half compared to before.

CU replaced the dedicated cups for its own coffee brand ‘Cafe Get’ with eco-friendly ‘kraft cups.’ Kraft is a type of paper made without bleaching or using semi-bleached pulp. In August last year, CU became the first in the industry to apply containers made of biodegradable plastic material (PLA) to ready-to-eat products. Starting with gimbap, the application has steadily expanded to lunch boxes, sandwiches, and more. In January, a CU product planner posted a handwritten letter on the official social media (SNS) account asking customers to refrain from purchasing disposable products unless absolutely necessary. Thanks to these efforts, CU’s disposable product sales growth rate recorded a 2.5% decline compared to the previous year in 2019 and fell by 3.1% last year. Seven Eleven introduced its own brand (PB) paper cups certified as eco-friendly by the Ministry of Environment, and GS25 provides eco-friendly biodegradable straws.

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