The high oil price shock triggered by the war between the United States and Iran has been rattling the world for over a month. Surging international crude prices do more than change the numbers on gas station signs. Disruptions in the supply of naphtha, a basic petrochemical feedstock, have forced factories to halt. The ripple effects have spread to everyday consumer goods such as vinyl and plastics. Beyond the macroeconomic shockwaves hitting finance and industry, we are reminded that the packaging we casually pick up and the single container of delivered food are, in fact, deeply connected to international affairs and energy markets.
It is no exaggeration to say that modern civilization is essentially a "petroleum civilization." From the toothbrush we grab each morning to the moment we set down our smartphones before sleep, life without plastic is unimaginable. Behind that convenience lay the premise of "cheap crude oil." Now that high oil prices have shaken that premise, we finally face the reality that plastic is a finite resource — and one that can be held hostage by international politics.
Yet our response to this crisis is puzzling. Rather than thinking about reducing waste itself, the first impulse was to stock up on trash bags. One cannot blame those who diligently recycle, but it is disheartening that maintaining consumption seems to take priority over conservation. When it comes to disposable products, which make up the bulk of our waste, Korea already holds embarrassing records. Per capita plastic consumption stands at 200 kilograms per year — the highest in the world. That is four times the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average. Per capita plastic bag usage is also an overwhelming 533 bags per year (as of 2020), far exceeding the European Union average of around 200 and Germany's roughly 100.
This phenomenon goes beyond individual morality; structural factors play a significant role. The proliferation of single-person households has fragmented packaging units, leading to an explosion in packaging material usage. The normalization of parcel delivery, dawn delivery services and ready-to-eat meals has maximized convenience while earning Korea the dubious title of "plastic powerhouse." Interest in environmental protection has grown and waste sorting has become routine, yet reality tells a different story. The problem is that action remains focused on "after use." The fact that less than 20 percent of sorted waste is actually recycled speaks for itself. In the end, the belief that "disposing properly is enough" rather than "using less" functions as a kind of absolution.
Consumers demand ever faster and more convenient services, and companies use more packaging materials in the name of meeting that demand. In this vicious cycle, plastic consumption has no room to decline. On top of this, the government's inconsistent policies have eroded public trust. Ambitious regulations such as restrictions on disposable straws and cups were repeatedly postponed or withdrawn under pushback from businesses and political calculations. It is also disappointing that the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, when addressing the trash bag crisis, emphasized only that "pay-as-you-throw bags are in sufficient supply" while omitting any call to curb disposable product use. Even the government appears focused solely on how to dispose of waste rather than how much to reduce.
Korea is the world's eighth-largest energy consumer. Per capita consumption is 1.7 times the OECD average. Yet because the country lacks natural resources, its import dependency for oil and gas exceeds 90 percent, leaving its energy self-sufficiency rate at just 16 percent. No country is more vulnerable to high oil prices. The real concern is that international crude, which had stayed around $70 per barrel before the war, is likely to remain above $100. Even after the war ends, instability in the Strait of Hormuz — where transit fees in the billions of won are now being discussed — and destroyed refining infrastructure across the Middle East signal a "new normal" for energy prices.
Ultimately, the government must redesign policy from an energy security perspective, and companies must streamline their production structures. Citizens, too, should consider adopting "inconvenient habits" such as refusing unnecessary packaging and choosing reusable products. Conserving electricity and expanding public transit use fall in the same vein. The government also needs to play stronger demand-management cards, such as extending the odd-even license plate driving restrictions — currently applied only to public vehicles — to the private sector. It is time we ask ourselves where the convenience we have taken for granted truly comes from and whether it is sustainable. Small acts of using less energy must lead to a "great transition" for society as a whole. In this era of high oil prices, we look forward to small but powerful choices by the public.