Beyond Busan – Will the Prolonged Push to Secure a Global Plastic Treaty Help Combat the Disposable Cups Crisis in South Korea?

Over the past week, the world’s attention has been focused on the seaside city of Busan as country delegates came together to negotiate the legally binding terms for a treaty to manage plastic pollution (known as INC-5). While negotiations ended without a treaty, it is indisputable that momentum to combat plastic pollution is gaining traction in South Korea and globally.

During and in the lead-up to INC-5, the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) and surrounding areas, including nearby hotels, cinema complexes, and streets, have been abuzz with conversations about what’s needed to address the negative impacts of plastic pollution – ranging from measures to reduce production to enhanced recycling and waste disposal policies. Conservations have also covered the impact of plastics on human health, with several screenings of the new documentary ‘Plastic People’ and consumer habits, as well as a side event screening part of the ‘Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy’ Netflix documentary.

Plastic People documentary screening at Lotte Cinema near BEXCO (Image credit: SFOC)

One discussion thread caught my attention due to its relevance to South Korea – disposable coffee cups. For locals and expats alike, Korea’s struggle to address the use of disposable cups and straws in cafes is a familiar tale – with the Korean government reversing its intended ban on single-use products, including paper cups, plastic straws and stirring sticks, due to backlash from businesses in November last year.

According to statistics, the number of coffee shops in Korea has surpassed 100,000 as of the end of 2022, nearly double the combined number of the four major convenience store chains, which numbered 55,000. There are also claims that South Korea has the highest number of cafes per capita and is the third-largest coffee market globally, after the U.S. and China.

Pacific Environment presentation at INC-5 side event on Tuesday, November 26th (Image credit: Pacific Environment)

In one of the INC-5 side events on ‘Rethinking Plastic Life’, taking place in the neighbouring BEXCO building to the one that houses the main negotiations, a presentation from Pacific Environment shared a case study on combating single-use-plastics in the Bubble Tea industry in China. According to the research, 676 bubble tea were sold every second in 2023, and in a typical commercial district of Nanjing, there are 170 bubble tea shops within a 1-kilometre radius. By simultaneously implementing reduce, reuse, and recycle strategies, it is possible to significantly reduce waste and help the bubble tea industry transition from a “linear economy” to a “circular economy” model. For example, the presentation mentioned that according to another study in China, the acceptance rate for bringing your own cups increased from 20% (in 2022) to 65% (in 2024). Another key point highlighted was the importance of reducing unnecessary and complex packaging. 

Of course, these lessons also offer inspiration for other sectors – such as disposable coffee cups. According to a 2023 Greenpeace report examining the lifecycle of single-use disposables versus reusable cups across East Asia, the global annual consumption of disposable cups amounts to a staggering 500 billion, and South Korea disposes of around 8.4 billion cups every year, a very high-rate event amongst the East Asian states examined in the report.

However, the reuse economy offers a promising trend to unlock the switch from single-use materials, especially those shown to impact human health and the climate, while maintaining convenience. This could include ‘Bring Your Own Container’ (BYOC) initiatives, stores providing reusable cups/ containers, or third-party providers offering reusable cups/ containers to stores (Rental Reuse) – often with discounts on drinks offered as an incentive.

Reusable cups used in the ‘Rethinking Plastic Life’ expo (Image credit: SFOC)

Another speaker from the side event sessions, the founder and CEO of VESSEL, shared the example of rental reuse from the U.S. For example, with city bike rental stations, customers can enjoy coffee on the go in a Vessel cup bought from one of the participating cafés and then return it at one of the collection spots around the city. This saves the hassle of having to carry a reusable tumbler and effectively implements a reuse system to replace the wasteful single-use takeaway cup experience.

Similar examples exist in Korea as well. For instance, Lowkey Coffee, located in Seoul’s HeyGround Seongsu office building, offers reusable takeaway cup options for a markup of 1,000 KRW (which you can claim back when returning the cup). However, while a promising start, it faced challenges to ensure high cup return rates and was implemented only at a building-wide level. For city-wide implementation and support of independent and franchise brands, reuse work effectively at scale is key. 

Whether we look at bubble tea consumption in China or broader disposable cup trends across East Asia, it is clear that the current rate of disposable plastics is unsustainable. 

Poster at Centum City Subway Station near BEXCO, reiterating the link between fossil fuels and plastic production (Image credit: SFOC)

As consumers of these plastics and given that Korea was ranked as the 4th largest petrochemicals producer globally in 2022, contributing to global plastic production, it’s critical to have alignment between citizens, government, and business on tackling this pertinent issue.

While this round of treaty negotiations wrapped up in Busan, it is critical to continue building up domestic and global momentum to reign in the unsustainable proliferation of single-use plastics. When country delegates re-convene for INC 5.2 next year, securing a strong treaty that limits unsustainable plastic production levels, supports waste management, limits the use of harmful chemicals, and effectively addresses financing mechanisms will be key for unlocking the deployment of creative solutions at scale – be it with effective coffee cup reuse systems or tailored solutions for e-commerce, food & beverage, or medical care.

Kate Kalinova leads international communications at Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC). Before joining SFOC, Kate worked as a Project Manager at the Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) in Korea. Having spent over 7 years in Asia, Kate earned her Master’s degree from China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing and her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). In addition to her work with SFOC, Kate serves as the Vice President at ANZA Korea. Her writing has been published in the East Asia Forum, Lowy Institute and The Korea Times.

Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) is an independent nonprofit organisation that works to accelerate global greenhouse gas emissions reduction and energy transition. SFOC leverages research, litigation, community organising, and strategic communications to deliver practical climate solutions and build movements for change. 

An earlier version of this Op Ed was published on Haps Magazine prior to the conclusion of INC-5. This version was updated following the conclusion of treaty negotiations in Busan for publication by Energy Tracker Asia.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Energy Tracker Asia.