REPORTER:
A country renowned for its beauty industry, South Korea is seeing its vital packaging industry squeezed.
At this factory in Pyeongtaek, machines have stopped mid-production.
A plastic shortage, tied to the Middle East conflict, is disrupting the supply of everything from plastic bags to face masks.
Han Kyung-hun (SALES TEAM MANAGER, GAONE INTERNATIONAL):
The most tangible change we're feeling is the rise in raw material prices and delays in supply, which have put us in a position where we can't manufacture our products.
REPORTER:
The war has pushed plastic prices to multi-year highs. Factories like this one warn of weeks-long delays.
But the shortage is also creating winners. Demand for alternatives that don’t rely on petroleum is rising fast.
Kim Min-sang (SENIOR MANAGER, KOLMAR KOREA):
As plastic supplies have tightened due to the U.S.–Iran situation, inquiries for paper-based alternatives have increased threefold. Approximately 70% of the demand is for paper tubes used in sunscreens, essences, and lotions, followed by paper sticks and pouches.
REPORTER:
The shift also reflects long-standing environmental concerns.
Asia is home to the most plastic users AND polluters in the world.
The European Union called for a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution last year, but it stalled after the US and plastic-producing countries pushed back.
Trump's sweeping trade tariffs were also a blow for sustainable companies like Taiwan's Lastic — which makes bamboo-based biodegradable material.
Now, supply shocks are forcing change.
Lee Jin-won (UNIVERSITY STUDENT):
As more people around the world use plastic, I think (companies') initiatives to cut plastic and use more sustainable materials will benefit the environment, particularly given the growing severity of global plastic waste.
Anna Sodergran (SWEDISH TOURIST):
I think Western tourists would absolutely be interested in more eco-friendly packaging in cosmetics, and celebrities could endorse it as well. And a lot of people in the West now love K-Pop and K-Dramas, so actors and musicians could absolutely endorse more eco-friendly packaging.
REPORTER:
A crisis in one region is now reshaping how products are packaged in another part of the world.
And if disruptions persist, Asia’s shift toward alternatives may come sooner than expected.
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