Jongno-gu Had a Reason to Replace Rainwater Drains... Why?

Preventing Visual Pollution from Illegal Cigarette Butt Disposal and Raising Awareness of Harmful Microplastic Components in Cigarette Filters... Using Newsletters and SNS to Inform About Microplastics and Installing New Stormwater Inlets with Dense Wave-Patterned Covers

Newly Installed Rainwater Inlet

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] When walking down the street, it is not difficult to find cigarette butts piled up on storm drains beside the road. Cigarette butts gathered on storm drains instead of trash bins not only look unpleasant but also act as factors that harm residents' health.

Jongno-gu (District Mayor Kim Young-jong) is launching a "Special Management for Storm Drain Cleanliness" to prevent the aesthetic degradation caused by the illegal disposal of cigarette butts and to actively raise awareness about marine pollution caused by the microplastic components of cigarette filters.

Cigarette filters contain microplastic fibers called "cellulose acetate." Microplastics refer to small plastics with a length or diameter of 5mm or less, which not only cause endocrine disruption but also absorb harmful substances such as bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor, and DDT, a pesticide, making them extremely dangerous if they penetrate the human body.

Cigarette butts carelessly discarded by people flow into our food chain through storm drains and eventually reach our dining tables. This happens because they break down into smaller pieces due to ultraviolet rays and waves, are eaten by plankton, and fish then consume the plankton that have ingested microplastics.

Accordingly, the district plans to go beyond the existing level of storm drain cleaning and devise fundamental measures to prevent the illegal disposal of cigarette butts.

To widely inform about the penalties related to illegal disposal of cigarette butts, the district will post relevant legal provisions and fine regulations on electronic display boards at the district office and each community center more than three times a day.

Additionally, using the district newsletter and SNS, the district plans to emphasize the microplastic components of cigarette filters and inform residents about the damage that returns directly due to marine pollution.

When installing new storm drains, covers with dense designs such as wave patterns will be used, and from the 20th, cleaning will be intensified for about 630 major storm drains. Regular patrols will be conducted at least once a month, and each community's responsible personnel will form patrol teams to thoroughly inspect all storm drains in the area.

District Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, "Cigarette butts are the main cause of marine microplastic generation. We must not forget that cigarette butts carelessly discarded into storm drains eventually return to our dining tables through the food chain. Starting with special management for storm drain cleanliness, we will implement substantial policies to protect residents' health and the city's aesthetics."