Rush to Buy丨South Korean Citizens Fervently Stockpiling Trash Bags Amid Concerns Over Raw Material Supply Disruption

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns about the supply chain of key raw materials for plastic product manufacturing, leading to a “rush to purchase” garbage bags in many areas of South Korea, with significant stockpiling, and some supermarkets have had to implement purchase limits.

Due to the recent tensions in the Middle East, concerns about a disruption in the import of crude oil and naphtha have intensified, resulting in shortages and a rush to buy in regions such as Daegu. As South Korea has implemented a waste measurement fee system, citizens must use dedicated garbage bags made from polyethylene, which is closely related to the supply of naphtha.

The South Korean government is urging the public not to panic excessively, emphasizing that domestic inventory and production capacity are extremely robust, sufficient to meet demand for over a year. A survey by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment also shows that the average inventory of garbage bags among 228 local governments across South Korea can sustain for more than three months, with over half of the administrative districts even having reserves exceeding six months.

The South Korean government pointed out that the existing recycled materials from recycling companies alone can produce about 1.83 billion garbage bags, surpassing the total annual sales, and even in the extreme case of a complete disruption of imported raw materials, production can still be sustained for over a year. The government has classified garbage bags as “core management items” and established a joint response team with local governments to monitor supply dynamics.