Jeju Island says no to disposable beverage cups.

Known as a tourist paradise in South Korea, Jeju Island welcomes an average of over 15 million tourists annually. Approximately 63 million disposable beverage cups are discarded into the environment from the 1,856 cafes located there. Based on these figures, Jeju ranks first in South Korea with 25.4 points per 10,000 inhabitants (the national average is 14.7 points).

This is why the startup group called "Jeju Blue Cup" (a stainless steel beverage cup painted blue) was selected by the Korean Ministry of Labor and Employment as a social entrepreneur support project in 2021. The project will provide a service allowing tourists to borrow multi-purpose cups when traveling on Jeju Island.

Visitors to Jeju Island can easily find and rent "blue cups" at eco-friendly cafes and shops throughout the island by scanning a QR code with their phone. Furthermore, using a "blue cup" entitles visitors to attractive discounts on drinks at all participating establishments.

According to Han Jeong-hee, the project's executive director, because recycling requires a lot of energy and processes, reuse will gradually become more common. She added, "There have been many cases where consumers were forced to use eco-friendly bags instead of plastic bags, but in reality, people's awareness has changed significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic."

After piloting this innovative service at Jeju International Airport since 2021, the initial number of 30 cafes participating in the "Jeju Blue Cup" project had increased to over 900 by the end of April 2022, contributing to a reduction of over 2,500 disposable cups in 2021.

This is truly a positive step for environmental protection, with 98% of respondents stating they would reuse the "blue cup." In particular, when asked about the reason for reusing the "blue cup," many answered, "Because I can participate in protecting Jeju's environment."

Duc Huy