Environment ministry expands reusable cup deposit scheme in Sejong

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment signed an agreement at Sejong City Hall on Oct. 19 with the Sejong city government, the Sejong city council and the Resource Circulation Social Solidarity, a civic group. Environment Minister Kim Seong-hwan, Sejong Mayor Cho Sang-ho, city council chairman Ahn Shin-il and solidarity chairwoman Kim Mi-hwa attended the signing.

The new outlets — nine near the government complex in Sejong and 11 near city hall — join 20 cafes already operating the deposit system inside the Government Complex Sejong, which the ministry introduced in June 2023. The ministry said it will keep recruiting shops on a rolling basis.

Under the system, takeout drinks are sold in reusable cups that carry a 1,000 won deposit. Customers return the cup to an unmanned collection machine and receive the deposit back through their mobile phones. The agreement calls for additional collection machines at public institutions, busy parking lots, bus stops and nearby stores, and collected cups are washed before being supplied back to the cafes.

Customers who return a cup receive 300 won in carbon-neutral points per cup, while participating shops get 30 won in points per cup along with partial support for the cost of collecting, washing and resupplying the containers and a notice designating them as shops taking part in the disposable-item reduction campaign.

In April 2025 the ministry revised a government directive on reducing disposable items at public bodies, giving agencies grounds to ban or restrict single-use products inside their buildings.

"Reducing disposable cups and using reusable cups is climate action we can practice in our daily lives," Kim said, adding that the ministry will make reusable cups more convenient to use and widen the number of participating stores so that public institutions' efforts lead to public participation.