Osan City to Stop Selling Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags at Large Retailers

Osan City announced on the 22nd that it will stop selling single-use plastic shopping bags at four major supermarket chains—Lotte Super (Segyo Branch, Osan Branch), Home Plus Express (Osan Galgot Branch, Osan Segyo Branch)—starting from February next year.

According to the city, the Ministry of Environment signed an agreement with five distribution companies—Lotte Super, Home Plus Express, GS Supermarket, Kim's Club, and E-mart Everyday—to operate 'single-use plastic shopping bag-free stores.'

Accordingly, starting from February next year, four stores in Osan City operated by companies participating in the agreement will discontinue the sale of single-use plastic shopping bags.

The Ministry of Environment plans to manufacture and distribute shopping baskets to minimize consumer inconvenience resulting from the suspension of single-use plastic shopping bag sales.

In addition, alternative measures will be provided, including expanding the sales of reusable volume-based garbage bags and paper bags, and offering self-packing boxes.

To this end, the city will expand the production of reusable volume-based garbage bags while creating various alternative measures to improve citizen convenience.

The city also plans to conduct training for waste collection and transport operators to eliminate inconvenience caused by the use of reusable volume-based garbage bags.