Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ScottyG]

I'm not in Korea anymore, and I'm doing some research for lobbying against coffee chains to pressure them into stop the practice of using disposable cups for customers staying within the establishments. In Canada, we are absolute environmental pigs. There is also the issue of Tim Horton's giving inhouse customers empty cups so they can play Roll Up the Rim, even if they didn't order coffee. There are those suggesting that all coffee chains should be forced to use generic cups without advertising on them, as this would stop the practice of "trash advertising," where, basically, companies believe (rightfully so) that an empty cup left by a payphone is basically advertising as long as people see the logo and think "oh there's a Starbucks nearby. I could use a coffee." It is estimated that 1% of all unrecycled trash is from cups.

So my question - what do the coffee chains do in Korea? For some reason I remember them not giving away paper cups for inhouse, and there was even a deposit on them or something.

Any info or stats etc. appreciated from other environmentally minded individuals.

[Lolimahro]

It seems like almost every non-huge-chain coffee shop I've been to in Seoul has used mugs for sit-in customers. However, sometimes I do request a paper cup just because I don't know if I'll finish my coffee before I'm ready to leave.

[Senior]

Are disposable cups bad for the environment (whatever that means) or does it just seem like they are? There are always unintended consequences from forcing people to do (or not do) things they would do naturally. I guarantee there is some such scenario here.

[kinerry]

All of your options give YOU your intended results
I don't like any of them, they are worded poorly


Plastic takes more energy to recycle than to make fresh, you can always grow more paper

[Goon-Yang]

wasted plastic is also more harmful to the environment than a wasted paper cup. It seems the company you are working for is concerned with their own agenda (getting plastic cups out there).