Making Paper Ice Cups and Uniforms from PET Bottles... Convenience Stores Embrace Plastic-Free Initiatives

Seven Eleven's paper ice cup.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] As ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management becomes increasingly important for companies, convenience stores have also joined the '? (Dal) Plastic' movement. They are making efforts to enhance consumer satisfaction by prioritizing value consumption, such as replacing disposable items with eco-friendly materials.

According to the industry on the 8th, GS Retail partnered with Black Yak to collect label-free water PET bottles and turn them into convenience store uniforms. One uniform can be made from 18 used PET bottles. Starting with the production of 50 uniforms for pilot operation at directly managed stores, the project has now expanded tenfold to 500 uniforms. GS Retail plans to complete the introduction nationwide at directly managed stores by June and then expand to franchise stores.

Seven Eleven became the first in the industry to replace plastic ice cups with eco-friendly paper cups. Made from 100% natural pulp with an eco-friendly coating, the cups can be separated and recycled as paper. Although made of paper, they maintain a level of durability similar to plastic ice cups due to low moisture permeability. Since their introduction in January this year, sales have reached about 200,000 units as of March. A Seven Eleven official said, "Although ice cup sales are not high due to cold weather, demand is expected to surge from March, leading to a high sales growth rate." Seven Eleven is currently testing the introduction of large sizes beyond the current regular size and aims to implement them in all stores in the second half of the year.

CU, operated by BGF Retail, has replaced plastic bags at all stores nationwide with eco-friendly bags. Made from 100% biodegradable resin, these eco-friendly bags reduce approximately 9,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually. The instant ground coffee 'GET Coffee,' which sells 150 million cups annually, has also fully switched its dedicated cups to eco-friendly kraft cups.

These efforts by convenience stores align with the consumer trend that values ESG management and value consumption. An industry official stated, "It is to enhance the satisfaction of modern consumers living in the era of value consumption along with practicing ESG," adding, "It is expected to positively contribute to the? plastic issue as well."

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