According to a report by Greenpeace last week, South Koreans used in total 23.5 billion plastic bags, 4.9 billion plastic bottles and 3.3 billion plastic cups in 2017.

The amount of used plastic bags would cover 70 percent of the Korean Peninsula, the report said.

The organization, however, noted that 62 percent of disposed plastic waste is recycled in Korea, compared to 40 percent in the European Union.

But simply comparing the figures is not realistic, Greenpeace noted, explaining that the EU figure does not include plastic recycled to create energy. It also said that although recycled waste can create energy, the process additionally creates additional pollution, meaning the ultimate use of plastic needs to be curbed.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)