"Around this time of year, sales go up a bit because of the moving season, but I have never seen anything like this in 20 years of business."

Production of Pay-Per-Use Bags Disrupted by Naphtha Shock

"Buy Now or Never" Anxiety Intensifies

On the afternoon of March 25, at a food supplies mart in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, owner Mr. Kim (54) pointed to an empty display for pay-per-use garbage bags. Stock that would typically last for an entire month sold out in just two days. Mr. Kim said, "Customers are insisting on dozens of bags at a time, which is driving me crazy. In the end, I limited it to one bag per person, but even so, I had arguments with about 20 customers just today."

Nearby convenience stores faced similar situations. A handwritten sign reading "Pay-per-use garbage bags sold out" was posted on the entrance. Ms. Lee (58), a regular customer who runs a restaurant, protested, "I buy these here every day, but suddenly being told I can't get them—how am I supposed to run my business?" Store owner Mr. Park (62) replied, "Headquarters has also blocked us from ordering more. How am I supposed to get any stock?"

Stock sold out in two days... Shipment volume tripled

Mart and convenience stores impose "One per person" limit

As the aftermath of the Middle East war has created a crisis in the supply of naphtha, known as the "rice of industry," stockpiling of pay-per-use garbage bags is spreading nationwide. While the government has begun emergency supply management, a combination of surging production costs and explosive panic buying is leading to severe shortages on the ground.

According to a "Daily Pay-Per-Use Bag Shipment Status" report from a local district in northwest Seoul obtained by The Asia Business Daily on March 26, the average daily shipment volume last week (March 16–20) was 73,600 bags. This week, however, shipments have surged. On March 24 alone, daily shipments soared to 195,660 bags—nearly three times the usual amount.

This phenomenon is being attributed to an intensified battle across the distribution sector to secure supplies. An official from a Seoul district said, "As news reports about the 'bag crisis' flooded in, marts began systematically moving to secure stock from Monday. I understand that major marts like Emart even instructed their branches to maximize their orders." The official added, "With daily orders now nearing 200,000 bags, we are considering supply restrictions to prevent specific companies from hoarding stock."

원본보기 아이콘

Manufacturers, who are the core of the supply chain, are even declaring that they will forgo bidding altogether. Companies that typically supply large quantities to local governments have found themselves in crisis due to deteriorating profitability. In the case of Seongdong-gu, an order for 2.2 million bags for the second half of this year was placed, but three out of four suppliers notified the district that they could not fulfill the order. The price of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), made by cracking naphtha, has surged, but the public procurement price set by the Public Procurement Service remains fixed, meaning the more they produce, the greater their losses. A representative of one vinyl bag manufacturer said, "We keep getting notified that factories have shut down and can't supply raw materials. Even offering extra money doesn't help secure materials, so we can't even consider taking on new contracts."

Raw material price surge leads to manufacturers refusing deliveries one after another

"Inventory lasts 3 to 4 months"... Managing anxiety is key

Self-employed individuals are also growing increasingly anxious. Jo Suyeon (57), who runs a cafe in Seodaemun-gu, said, "Pay-per-use bags are consumables I need every day, but with rumors that they will be unavailable even if you pay by May, I visited three or four different marts. I barely managed to get a few bags, but I'm already worried about how I'll handle trash disposal starting tomorrow."

Government "Sufficient Stock"... Urges Restraint on Hoarding

On March 25, the government designated pay-per-use garbage bags as an "item at risk of supply chain disruption" and began emergency management. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment stated, "On average, local governments nationwide have three months' worth of inventory, and for areas with shortages, we will adjust by borrowing from other municipalities."

However, experts are warning that panic buying itself could paralyze the market. Yoo Seunghoon, professor of energy policy at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, said, "Currently, Seoul has about four months' worth of inventory, so we are still at a manageable level. However, if panic buying continues as it is now, no system will be able to withstand it, so we must be careful to prevent anxiety from accelerating an actual crisis."