Consumers in South Korea are stockpiling garbage bags as prolonged Middle East tensions continue to disrupt the global crude oil and naphtha supply, raising concerns over potential shortages of plastic and vinyl products, industry sources said Monday.
Major discount and convenience store chains have reported a surge in garbage bag sales and begun limiting per-person purchases amid the spike in demand.
The supply concerns come with disruptions in the domestic naphtha supply, a key feedstock widely used in petrochemical and other industries, following U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran.
Under South Korea's volume-based waste fee system, households are required to use district-designated plastic bags for general and food waste. The bags are sold at convenience stores, supermarkets and other neighborhood shops.
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