South Korea goes on a bin-bag buying spree as Iran war stokes supply fears

Oil supply fears tied to the US-Israel war on Iran have triggered a rush on mandatory bin bags in Seoul. Daily sales in the South Korean capital surged nearly fivefold to 2.7 million over the final week of March 2026, one month after the conflict started. Some shops are capping purchases, despite assurances supplies will continue. Authorities have also pledged to allow the use of ordinary plastic bags for household waste in a worst-case scenario.