Convenience Stores to Stop Ordering Single-Use Plastic Bags... Replaced with Paper Bags and Others

On the 1st, the first day of the nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags at large supermarkets, department stores, and shopping malls, a notice restricting plastic bags according to the Resource Recycling Act is posted at a large supermarket in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Starting from the 1st, the Ministry of Environment will enforce a complete ban on the use of single-use plastic bags at large supermarkets and department stores nationwide, including supermarkets larger than 165㎡. However, exceptions to the plastic bag ban include allowing plastic packaging for items such as tofu, seafood, and meat, while ice cream and soil-covered vegetables are excluded from the regulation. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] As the government bans the use of disposable plastic bags at convenience stores and other retail outlets starting in November, the convenience store industry has taken preemptive measures such as stopping orders for disposable plastic bags.

According to the industry on the 14th, GS25 will stop ordering disposable plastic bags from September 1. This is to halt additional orders in order to deplete existing stock. The remaining stock must be used up before November 24, when the government’s ban on disposable plastic bags takes effect, and after the stock is depleted, they plan to use volume-based bags, paper bags, and non-woven shopping bags.

CU has not yet decided when to stop ordering, but it has already informed store owners since May that they need to adjust their disposable plastic bag inventory.

Seven Eleven plans to have store owners use up their existing stock before the ban on disposable plastic bags takes effect. A Seven Eleven official stated, “We plan to sequentially stop ordering disposable plastic bags between September and October.”

Emart24 is also reviewing the timing to stop orders. An Emart24 official said, “The timing to stop orders is currently undecided, but we plan to replace them with paper shopping bags later.”

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