Cafe owners, customers skeptical of government’s new plastic cup policy

Disposable plastic cups are stacked on the counter at a cafe in Seoul, Thursday. The government has announced it will push for a system to charge separately for disposable cups at cafes. Newsis

Public frustration is reemerging over Korea’s latest attempt to curb plastic waste by banning free disposable plastic cups at cafes. Coffee drinkers and cafe owners voiced skepticism toward the policy plan, saying it will only add to the financial burdens of small businesses and consumers who are already weary of inconsistent environmental measures.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced during a presidential policy briefing on Wednesday that eateries and coffee shops will no longer be able to offer free single-use cups for takeout orders. Instead, customers who choose disposable cups must pay a separate fee, expected to range between 100 won ($0.07) and 200 won. The ministry plans to unveil the policy draft as part of a comprehensive "de-plasticization" strategy on Tuesday.

Despite the policy’s environmental message, online and offline reactions have been negative. Small business owners, recalling the confusion and costs from previous plastic reduction measures, say they are bracing for a customer backlash once they start charging for cups at the counter.

"Over the past decade, so many policies about disposable cups have come and gone, but none really worked," said Kim, who has run a coffee shop for 10 years in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. "One in a hundred customers actually brings a tumbler when they can already earn a discount. This new rule just means I’ll have to deal with upset customers every day."

Lim, a takeout coffee shop owner in central Seoul, voiced similar concerns.

"When customers complain about paying for the cup, who do you think they will blame? Us," he said, referring to cafe owners. "We know environmental issues are serious, but these measures always seem out of touch with reality."

A customer carries drinks in disposable cups at a coffee shop in Seoul, Thursday. The government plans to push for a policy that requires coffee shops to bill disposable cups separately. Newsis

A Seoul-based office worker surnamed Song, 29, said the added cost would not change his coffee habits. "I already assume the cup charge is included in the drink price," he said. "Even if it’s just 100 won more, it feels like consumers are paying for the government’s environmental slogans."

Online critics also voiced concerns. "It just sounds like another way to raise prices," one comment read. Another wrote, "Yes, we need to reduce plastic waste — but why is it always the consumers who pay?"

Public distrust runs deeper than cost concerns. The backlash reflects accumulated frustration over previous administrations’ inconsistent approaches. The former Moon Jae-in administration’s "cup deposit system," which required consumers to pay 300 won per disposable cup and then receive a refund if the cup was returned, was scheduled for nationwide introduction in 2022 but was scrapped after protest by small business owners.

Later, under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, similar bans on disposable paper cups were lifted before the 2024 general elections, only to reemerge this year in a modified form.

An office worker in Seoul surnamed Park, 37, said he supports the new rule, calling it a necessary way to share social responsibility for cutting plastic use even if it adds to consumer costs. "It is similar to raising cigarette prices to curb smoking," he said. "Companies should shoulder more of the burden, but having consumers directly feel the cost is not an entirely unreasonable approach."