South Korea aims to cut plastic waste by 3 million tons by 2030, but critics say it's not enough

The South Korean government has unveiled an ambitious plan to tackle plastic waste, aiming to slash it by 3 million tons by 2030. This initiative, dubbed the "Transition Plan for a De-plasticized Circular Economy," seeks to reduce projected plastic waste from 10 million tons to 7 million tons by focusing on both reducing plastic at its source and enhancing recycling capabilities. The Ministry of Climate announced the plan, emphasizing the need for a sustainable plastic circular economy, especially in light of volatile oil and naphtha prices due to recent geopolitical events.

Key strategies include encouraging the use of alternative materials like paper for products not requiring plastic, such as cosmetic containers and plastic bags. The plan also promotes lightweighting for delivery containers and restricts excessive packaging for parcel deliveries. At the production stage, South Korea will implement a "Korean Eco-Design" system for clothing and electronics, limiting market entry for hard-to-recycle packaging and minimizing the use of new plastic materials. Measures to increase the effectiveness of plastic waste surcharges and offer rebates for using recycled materials are also part of the package.

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We must first correct the flawed plan to increase plastic waste from 7.8 million tons in 2024 to 10 million tons by 2030. A plan should be presented to maintain the current level of plastic waste and reduce it going forward.

However, the plan has drawn criticism from environmental organizations. Yoo Hye-in, a senior activist at the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, argued that the government's goal of increasing plastic waste from the current 7.8 million tons in 2024 to 10 million tons by 2030 is fundamentally flawed. She stressed the need for a plan that aims to reduce waste from current levels, not projected future increases. Environmental advocates are calling for a stronger emphasis on reusable containers, mandatory deposit systems for disposable cups, and stricter regulations on unnecessary multi-layer packaging at the production stage.

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We should switch beverage containers made of plastic back to reusable glass containers as in the past, and expand the deposit system for disposable cups to a reusable cup deposit system. Furthermore, unnecessary plastic use, such as multi-layer packaging, should be regulated from the production stage.