Experts say the success of the system depends on 'how well it is explained.'
There is a topic that is frequently discussed among cafe owners these days.
It is the government's proposed "Separate Cup Payment System (Cup Price Display System)."
While most agree with the intention to reduce plastic usage,
concerns are louder on the ground.
"Isn't this just going to make things harder for us again?" is a common worry.
What is the problem with the Separate Cup Payment System?
The Separate Cup Payment System, as the name suggests,
is a policy that requires the price of single-use cups, which was previously included in the coffee price, to be listed separately on the receipt.
Although the actual price of coffee does not increase,
as soon as a 200 or 300 won charge for a single-use cup appears on the receipt,
consumers may feel this way:
"Wait, didn't the price of coffee go up?"
This is where the conflict begins.
"Why are we being charged separately for single-use cups?"
A cafe owner running a franchise in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, says,
"With prices rising and everyone feeling sensitive,
if a separate 200 or 300 won charge appears on the receipt, there will inevitably be customers who question it."
Although the policy is made by the government,
it is the small business owners who deal directly with customers on the front lines.
In the end, it is the cafe owners and staff who must provide the explanation.
Invisible additional costs are also a burden
The problem is not just inconvenience. There are real cost burdens as well.
For business owners operating independent stores rather than large franchises,
they must manually change the settings on their POS (Point of Sale) systems.
This process may incur one-time costs.
To implement the Separate Cup Payment System, they need to add categories for "reusable containers" and "single-use cups,"
and set up related notices separately, among other additional tasks.
Will it be another case of deja vu for environmental policies?
The main reason for owners' concerns is that
this system resembles previous environmental policies.
The mandatory use of paper straws, which was repeatedly postponed and eventually discontinued,
the single-use cup deposit system, which was changed to a voluntary local government policy after debates over its effectiveness,
all had good intentions but lacked preparation and communication at the field level,
resulting in confusion according to many evaluations.
Small business owners are increasingly anxious that this time may follow the same path.
"Explanation and persuasion must come first."
Choi Bugyung, Associate Research Fellow at the Small Enterprise Policy Research Institute of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, stated, "Fundamentally, both business owners and consumers have great distrust in government policies, so doubts inevitably follow the separate cup payment system." He emphasized, "The government must clearly explain the direction of the separate cup payment system and actively promote it, thoroughly considering ways to successfully implement the policy."
If it is a policy for the environment, isn't thorough preparation and a persuasion process necessary to ensure that the burden does not fall solely on a specific group?
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Reporter Lee Seohee dawn@asiae.co.kr
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Edit Kong Sumin hyunhj@asiae.co.kr
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