Korea's environment ministry and Chuncheon launch reusable-cup island at Namiseom

The environment ministry said Wednesday it will work with the city of Chuncheon and Nammun, which manages the shops on Namiseom, to cut disposable cups out of one of Korea's most-visited tourist islands, beginning at a single cafe next year.

The three signed a voluntary agreement at Namiseom in Chuncheon on Wednesday afternoon to convert cafes on the island to reusable cups. From next year, disposable cups used for drinks and ice cream sold on Namiseom will be replaced with reusable ones in stages. Seodam Cafe, one of the island's eight shops, will serve as the pilot, offering drinks in reusable cups to customers who ask for takeout, before the program spreads to the remaining stores.

Return boxes will be installed at the ferry terminal, the plaza and other main points so visitors can hand cups back easily, and cups carrying return instructions in English, Chinese and Vietnamese will be produced for the many foreign tourists who visit the island. Chuncheon will share the initial costs of making and washing the cups and installing the return boxes with the ministry.

The agreement follows years of government and local support for reusable-container programs that had been concentrated on one-off events such as regional festivals, rather than lasting systems. The conversion is expected to keep at least 420,000 disposable cups off the island each year. Namiseom already gives a 300-won discount to customers who bring their own cups and hands out straws only on request.

"The shift from single-use products, which use mined resources once and throw them away, to reusable containers that can be used and circulated for a long time is the key task that must come first for a plastic-free circular economy," Environment Minister Kim Seong-hwan said. He added that the government would spread exemplary cases such as Namiseom nationwide.

Kim, Chuncheon Mayor Yook Dong-han and Nammun managing director Lee Tae-hee attended the signing.