S. Korea's surging food delivery demand boosts supply of disposable cutlery

The supply of disposable forks in South Korea jumped from 1,501 tons in 2019 to 2,611 tons in 2021, up by 73.9 percent, due to the surge in demand for delivery food amid the pandemic.

The production and importation of disposable knives and spoons also increased.

In contrast, as reusable cups and tumblers became more popular, the supply of disposable cups decreased from 308,000 tons in 2019 to 157,000 tons in 2021.

The availability of hand towels increased to 71,621 tons last year, up 7.3 percent from the year before as hand-washing habits spread.

The number of sanitary products produced in South Korea in 2017 was 2 trillion won, a decrease of 1.9 percent from the year before. Sanitation product imports totaled 396 billion won, an increase of 11.7 percent over the prior year.