Local governments in Korea are introducing recycled material-based garbage bags as supply concerns for standard waste bags grow amid the fallout from the Middle East conflict. The move seeks an eco-friendly breakthrough amid worries about shortages of petroleum-based plastic, the primary raw material for the bags.
According to the materials industry on the 13th, Sejong City is reviewing the adoption of eco-friendly garbage bags and has held discussions with eco-friendly material companies on the matter.
Biodegradable plastic bags, a representative eco-friendly option, have been primarily used at convenience stores in Korea. However, biodegradable plastic has not been applied to standard waste bags due to concerns that bags larger than 10 liters could tear easily. Biodegradable plastic is an eco-friendly material that uses plant-based starch as its main ingredient instead of naphtha refined from crude oil.
One company has drawn attention for overcoming the limitations of biodegradable plastic. Everchem Tech succeeded in producing durable eco-friendly bags using its proprietary material technology. Last year, the company demonstrated practicality by supplying bags to a major marathon event. Everchem Tech is currently registering its products with the Public Procurement Service to enable local governments to adopt eco-friendly garbage bags. The company's product features approximately 30% less petroleum-based plastic compared to conventional garbage bags. It is naturally degradable in soil and offers excellent carbon emission reduction benefits.
Following the Middle East situation, policies are being reorganized to expand plastic recycling, and observers note that adoption could spread nationwide. President Lee Jae-myung directed officials at a senior secretaries' meeting at the Blue House on the 25th of last month to use recycled materials in garbage bag production if a "garbage bag crisis" occurs, while reviewing garbage bag inventory levels. Later that day, Rep. Ahn Do-geol, secretary of the Democratic Party of Korea's Middle East War Economic Response Special Committee, told reporters at the National Assembly, "The current recycled material ratio in garbage bag production is 10%, and we are reviewing raising it to 30%. An announcement on the adjustment will come soon."
The materials industry is united in calling for stronger support for the plastic recycling industry in light of the Iran conflict. This is because the risk from dependence on naphtha, the basic raw material for plastic, has increased significantly. According to raw material price data, the monthly average price of naphtha jumped from $557.4 per ton in January this year to $1,154.2 this month, roughly doubling. The overseas regulatory environment is also highlighting the importance of the recycling industry. The European Union's Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) requires PET bottles to contain at least 25% recycled materials from 2025, and all beverage bottles to contain at least 30% from 2030. According to Samjong KPMG, the global plastic recycling market is projected to grow from $94.7 billion (approximately 141 trillion won) in 2027 to $120 billion by 2030.
