SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM, hereinafter referred to as “SKT”) today announced that the Happy Habit Project has prevented over 10 million disposable cups from entering the waste system, thereby reducing 293 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Launched by the Ha:bit Eco Alliance* in 2021, the Happy Habit Project promotes the use of multi-use cups by building a platform where use, collection and re-use of multi-use cups create a virtuous cycle.

* Ha:bit Eco Alliance, is a public-private alliance established in 2020 to solve environmental problems related to excessive use of plastics. Now with its 90 members, including the central government, local governments, coffee chains and companies from various fields such as SKT and Happy Connect, the Alliance is making actively promoting good habits for reducing the use of plastics through collaborative efforts.

At participating coffee shops that eliminate disposable cups, customers pay a KRW 1,000 deposit to have their beverages served in a reusable cup (named ‘Habit Cup’), which can be later returned via smart kiosks. Returned cups are collected every day to be cleaned and sanitized, and then delivered back to cafés. SKT’s vision AI technology is applied to the smart kiosks to enable accurate identification of Habit Cups.

The project has been actively carried out by companies like Starbucks, LG Display, Daishin Securities, SKT, Paris Baguette, Il Mazzio, and Pascucci.

Also, an increasing number of local governments and public agencies – e.g. Incheon City Hall and Seoul Metropolitan Government – are joining the efforts by allowing only multi-use cups to be used at coffee shops within their office buildings. 

By region, Jeju Island – where the project first started – has saved the use of 6.48 million disposable cups, followed by Seoul and Sejong with 2.28 million and 670,000, respectively. The use of reusable cups is also on the rise in the recently participated areas of Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced earlier this month that coffee shops in all 13 government complexes across Korea will be required to implement a multi-use cup circulation system by 2027. All 22 coffee shops located in the government complex in Sejong have already adopted the multi-use cup circulation system, serving beverages in only reusable cups.

SKT will continue to expand collaborations with the central government and local governments, while attracting more entities to join the project, including coffee shops within company buildings, university campuses, sports stadiums, and theaters.

“With the government’s policies and active participation of many companies, the multi-use cup circulation ecosystem is being established at a rapid pace,” said Lee Joon-ho, Vice President and Head of ESG Development Office of SKT. “We will continue to make efforts to expand the infrastructure and upgrade ICT solutions to boost the use of reusable cups.”