STARTING 2021, South Korea will ban paper cups at cafes, restaurants and fast food stores while disposable takeaway containers will cost extra.
Its Environment Ministry announced on Friday that in addition, bakeries and convenience stores would also stop giving out single use plastic bags in 2022, while plastic straws will be banned at restaurants, cafes and other dining facilities.
The plan was announced by deputy prime minister Yoo Eun-hae after a government meeting to reduce plastic waste.
The government expects the ban will cut one time plastic use by more than 35 per cent by 2022.
The Korea Times reported that the figure was higher than the government's current goal, which aimed to cut plastic waste creation by 30 per cent in 2022 and 50 per cent by 2030.
It also hopes to raise the recycling rate to 70 per cent by 2030 from 34 per cent now.
The stronger policies of the government comes amid reports that South Korea produced 120,000 tons of illegally dumped waste this year alone.
There are also plans to launch the "cup deposit system", whereby a deposit will be needed for disposable cups and it will be refunded only upon return.
A ban of disposable cups was first implemented in 2002, resulting in a drop of 36.7 per cent within five years.
However in 2008, the government lifted the ban, citing management issues in the system.
Since then, the Environment Ministry had been working with food and beverage outlets on reducing the use of such cups.
Last year, 21 coffee franchises banned plastic cups in their stores with significant results.
The 21 franchises used 206 tons of plastic cups in July 2018, but this dropped to 58 tons in April this year, a 72 per cent reduction.
The government will also ban free disposable food utensils provided with food delivery but customers will have the option of purchasing them.
The government is also looking at ways to switch from disposable plates and containers to multiple use products.
Starting next year, bans on plastic straws, stir sticks and plastic umbrella covers will be gradually applied to large enterprises and stores.
Before Starbucks introduced paper straws in November last year, it used more than 15 million plastic straws annually in South Korea alone, but that number has nearly halved since then.
Deputy director of resource circulation at the Environment Ministry Lee Young-ki said that the plan was meaningful as it was focused on resolving fundamental waste issues and helping in ways to reduce it.
"We will become the backbone so that our country can become a society that could continuously be able to recycle," he added.