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A South Korean voter wearing disposable gloves casts a ballot at a polling station in Seoul’s Jongno District on Apr. 10. (Lee Jong-keun, staff photographer)

Recommendations for the use of disposable items for personal hygiene and safety amid the novel coronavirus outbreak are sparking concerns over environmental pollution. Some observers are arguing that while the increased use of disposable items is unavoidable as a means of preventing the virus’ spread, some form of compromise is needed that will allow for a return to the recent shift away from disposables as the COVID-19 situation prolongs.

The National Election Commission (NEC) has announced that it will be supplying disposable plastic gloves to 14,300 polling stations nationwide ahead of this week’s general election. The total number of voters in South Korea stands at around 43.9 million. While some proposed instructing voters to bring their own gloves due to pollution concerns, the idea was rejected. In a regular briefing on Apr. 12, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Director Jung Eun-kyeong said, “It’s safe to use disposable plastic gloves” -- indicating that this was a social cost to be paid for complete disease prevention. A Blue House citizens’ petition calling for the use of “biodegradable plastic gloves” for the election had attracted 1,960 signatures as of 5 pm on Apr. 13.

Recent regulations relaxed during COVID-19 epidemic

Recently imposed restrictions on disposable items have been significantly eased due to the coronavirus. Since late February, the use of disposable cups and plates at cafes, restaurants, and other food establishments nationwide has been permitted according to government guidelines. According to the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, restrictions on the use of disposable items do not apply in cases where the infectious disease crisis alert level is at “Caution” or higher. The use of masks, which have to be replaced daily, has been rising, along with the use of packaging as deliveries increase.

It remains unclear exactly how much the usage of disposable items has actually increased. In November 2019, prior to the coronavirus outbreak, there were around 41,000 cases of paper and plastic cups being collected from around 2,400 fast food restaurants under five franchises and 11,400 coffee shops under 16 franchises that had agreements with the Ministry of Environment (MOE); the number of cases for February 2020, after the outbreak occurred, was estimated at around 36,000.

“As economic activity has been dampened, the usage of disposable items at coffee shops and restaurants has not increased significantly,” an MOE senior official said. But the growing trend toward takeout over disease concerns suggests a strong possibility that the statistics were not properly compiled.

A Seoul city official who calculates disposable item usage statistics for residential areas explained, “The most recent figures are from two years ago, so we don’t have figures on the current situation, but individual [city] districts have reported an increase of roughly 15% in disposable item processing.”

While many agree that the phenomenon is an unavoidable side effect of disease prevention efforts, some are voicing concerns that the social climate favoring a reduction in the use of disposable items in favor of personal cups and handkerchiefs may be waning. Since the garbage drama triggered by China’s declaration of a ban on waste imports in 2018, coffee shops have been barred from using disposable cups and straws, while supermarkets have been restricted from using disposable plastic bags. Since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, however, disease prevention has taken precedence over waste disposal. In November 2019, the South Korean government announced that it would be banning the use of plastic and paper cups at coffee shops as of 2021; it remains to be seen whether that plan remains in place as the situation draws out.

“Since disease control authorities haven’t been clear about the guidelines for the use of disposable items, we can’t just tell people not to use them,” said Hong Su-yeol, chief researcher of the Resource Recycling Consulting in Seoul.

“The trend of substituting everything with disposables has been accelerating, and the regulations won’t be able to keep up with the increase,” he warned.

Hong also stressed that the aim of environmental groups in proposing that people avoid using disposables was to avert the risks associated with environmental hormones and hazardous materials.

For this reason, some are calling for a “compromise” on the usage of disposables as the government shifts from strict social distancing measures toward “disease prevention in accordance with daily routines” and preparations are made for a long-term battle with the virus.

“We need to reflect on whether we’re using disposables at times when it’s not necessary to use them,” said Kim Mi-hwa, chairperson of the Korea Zero Waste Movement Network.

“We aren’t having any issues with waste processing at the moment, but we could end up running into certain issues as the situation persists,” she warned. “This is a moment that calls for a judicious approach that allows us to address both issues of disease prevention and waste.”

The Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM) shared its own approach to “eco-friendly disease prevention to overcome the coronavirus,” which included the use of tumblers and cleaning cups with detergent, washing hands with soap instead of hand sanitizer, and using handkerchiefs instead of paper towels.

By Choi Woo-ri, staff reporter

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