South Korea's Ministry of Environment on Tuesday announced it will suspend a ban on plastic straws and paper cups in cafes and plastic bags in convenience stores to reduce the economic strain on small business owners grappling with inflation, rising production costs and skyrocketing interest rates. Despite concerns from experts about increased waste and poor recycling rates if deregulation occurs, Vice Minister Lim Sang-jun faulted the initial policy’s inadequacies and emphasized that regulation alone is insufficient for achieving sustainability.

The suspension is partly a response to the lack of public support for paper straws in Korea, often seen as less recyclable and more costly. The Small Business Association welcomed the decision to lift the ban, citing rising operational costs and customer disputes that it has brought. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration introduced a ban on paper and plastic disposables in late Nov. 2022, inheriting the previous Moon Jae-in administration's initiative to cut the use of disposable paper cups from 84 billion to 55 billion annually. The policy included fines of up to $2,290 (3 million won) for businesses that use paper cups and plastic straws in stores, with a one-year grace period due to expire this month.