For a long time, the earth has been tainted by severe environmental problems due to the waste people produce in their daily lives. According to a report, by Statistics Korea, on the generation and disposal of living and workplace waste between 2013 and 2019,  there was an estimated 380,709kg in 2013 and 481,682kg in 2019, an increase of about 26.4%. As a result, it can be seen that the amount of waste people discard is increasing as time goes on. Meanwhile, since COVID-19 occurred, people’s preference have changed to delivery food and online shopping, which has led to a rapid increase in this trend. According to the Statistics Korea’s report, after the COVID-19 outbreak, recyclable items respectively increased 10.2% and 9.1%, in February and March 2020. These show that the growth rate of plastic was the largest increase, followed by paper the esecond-largest increase, which can know that it influenced by packaging waste, such as delivery food, because it increased rapidly after outbreak of COVID-19  From this, we can clearly see that it was negatively influenced by packaging waste, such as delivery food because it increased rapidly after the outbreak of COVID-19. If this situation continues, people will be unable to deal with the increase of disposable garbage because of the environmental problems that are more severe than before, and even the lack of disposal sites. Due to environmental problem becoming more severe than before, many “eco-friendly” items, places, and challenges have emerged since COVID-19.

Water company  with reduced plastic labels

  ICIS, a prominent Korean water company released water bottles early last year that reduced the use of plastic labels, aimed at protecting the environment. This is a first for water bottles. This company pursued a simple and sophisticated design by eliminating the plastic label, and instead making stereoscopic grooves on the body. They now display all the pertinent information, such as the water source and inorganic content, on a small plastic label on the cap. In addition to being environmentally friendly it also saves the consumer considerable time when it comes to removing labels for the purpose of recycling. This innovative practice has earned the company favorable reviews and comments. 
 
The appearance of eco-friendly cafes that reduce disposable products

  This eco-friendly lifestyle can also be found in many local cafes that have recently appeared. Some of the cafes people often visit are implementing small practices like replacing plastic straws with paper ones that decompose much quicker. Some cafes, located in Seoul, do not use or provide any disposable products at all. Cafes are also replacing products, like straws and disposable napkins, which are used on a mass scale by customers on a daily basis, instead providing spoons and handkerchiefs. Cafes are also trying to reduce disposable products by encouraging or forcing customers to bring their own reusable tumblers or containers when packing food or drinks.
 
Eco-friendly practices in delivery service

  This eco-friendly life can also be seen in delivery service. Items such as cosmetics and writing utensils are now wrapped in ‘Geami WrapPak’ a new material, which is far easier to recycle and more biodegradable even when buried. This eco-friendly packaging material is also extremely easy to cut or tear because it consists of paper. Also,  many companies now provide a recycling bag called ‘Fresh Bag’ for its delivery service. This service is selectively provided to customers who do not want to use disposable delivery boxes, and customers who enjoy ec o-friendly life are using the service.
 
The appearance of eco-friendly challenges

  It is probably a sign of the times but the eco-friendly awareness has led to many social challenges. A well-known challenge is the ‘Brave Challenge.’ The Brave Challenge is a campaign started by Greenpeace to overcome serious environmental pollution caused by disposable containers around the world. In other words, it means that people who participated in the challenge try to use reusable containers instead of disposable ones. This challenge became popular starting with Ryu Jun-yeol, a famous Korean actor who participated in April last year. As a result,  many people in Korea now use SNS or YouTube to certify and practice eco-friendly life without using disposable products.
 
  Also, regarding this increase in eco-friendly consumption, So Yoo-jin, professor of the consumer department at CBNU, says, “Recently, because environmental problems have become serious, people are paying attention to eco-friendly issues around the world. Consumers are also trying to help improve the environment by purchasing eco-friendly products. Many people buy eco-friendly products with responsibility and a sense of duty, considering the environment that is being damaged, animals and plants that are becoming extinct, and humans who run into the danger of polluted air. With this altruistic motive, people also consume eco-friendly products. However, consumers don’t only buy eco-friendly products for altruistic reasons. Consumers are sensitive to issues related to health, such as the effect of fine dust, and have become sensitive to the safety of products after catastrophes occurred of living chemical products. Nowadays, consumers buy eco-friendly products, even if they have to pay more. They are especially willing to pay more if they could protect their health and safety.”

By Kang Min-ji l mj41@cbnu.ac.kr