Looking to further reduce the use of plastic bags,... South Korea's capital Seoul will ban the use of such bags at big supermarkets and shops from April.<br />For more on what the plastic bag ban may mean for stores and those of us here in Seoul, Lee Seung-jae reports. <br />Seoul will ban the use of disposable plastic bags at big supermarkets and shops starting next month.<br />Under the revised law on the use of recyclable waste,... supermarkets that are 165 square-meters or bigger will be penalized if caught handing out single-use plastic bags.<br />Many single-use plastic bags are used in the fruit and vegetable aisles of supermarkets.<br />Customers that opt to use the bags will need to pay for them.<br />The city says if supermarkets or stores are caught giving away single-use plastic bags,... they will be fined over 26-hundred U.S. dollars.<br />"Depending on the type or number of violations, the penalty amount will vary. We have done enough to craft the policy so now we need to enforce the measures."<br />Supermarkets and stores will still be allowed to offer thin-film plastic bags,... if they are used to contain so-called "wet items", such as fish, meat and other related goods.<br />Products that were once not listed,... but have been recently added to the list of goods that cannot be bagged include baked goods.<br />The Seoul City Government has been encouraging stores to adhere to the ban,... which took effect in January,... but will now impose fines without warnings when the three-month grace period ends in April.<br />Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News. <br />
