Major supermarkets will be banned from using plastic bags in an effort to conserve natural resources and manage recyclable waste, South Korea's Ministry of Environment said Monday. The ban, which was introduced as part of an amendment to an existing law, comes into effect on Tuesday. It affects 2,000 large supermarkets and 11,000 supermarkets with sales floor spaces of 165 square meters (1,776 square feet) or more. Those stores are currently prohibited from providing customers with plastic bags for free. However, the new rules will bar single-use plastic bags, except to hold wet produce such as fish and meat. Supermarkets will be required to offer customers alternatives such as cloth or paper bags that can be reused or recycled. Those who violate the ban could face fines of up to 3 million won (about US$2,700). The ministry said it would also lead efforts to curb the use of other disposable plastic items including drinking straws. Dozens of countries or taxes on single-use plastic bags, including Australia, the UK, France, China, and the Netherlands. has perhaps the harshest law: those who violate the ban face four years in prison or a fine up to $39,000. China of 24 varieties of solid waste, including types of plastic and unsorted paper, putting pressure on Europe to deal with its own waste. In October, the European Parliament a range of single-use plastics such as straws, cotton buds and cutlery, and to ensure most bottles are recycled to curb ocean pollution. The World Economic Forum that there are about 150 million tons of plastic in the world's seas. A in Science in 2015 suggested that between 5 million and 13 million tons more flow into them each year. there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the world's oceans by 2050, which has spurred policy makers, individuals and companies into action. However, a study released earlier this year on the seabed in northern Europe, which scientists tied to the widespread introduction of plastic ban charges and restrictions.
The ban, which came into effect on 2015 and follows similar moves in other countries, will apply to 2,000 large supermarkets and 11,000 supermarkets with sales floor spaces of at least 165 sq m. The measure will prohibit the stores, which are currently not allowed to provide customers with plastic bags free of charge, from using the bags at all, except in relation to wet produce. The shops will be also required to provide reusable or recyclable alternatives, such as cloth or paper bags. Violations of the ban could result in fines of up to $2,700.