Incentives Provided as Motivation for Outstanding Usu-dong Residents Actively Participating in Weight Loss Efforts
[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) is implementing the "Household Waste Reduction Pay Back Project" again this year, following last year, to raise awareness among residents about the importance of resource circulation and waste reduction, which have become social issues, and to encourage voluntary participation.
Pay Back refers to receiving back the money paid when purchasing a product, either in cash or via bank transfer.
Starting in March, Eunpyeong-gu's "Household Waste Reduction Pay Back Project" rewards neighborhoods with excellent performance in reducing and separating household waste by returning the cost savings as incentives. The project is scheduled to continue until October, and outstanding neighborhoods will receive incentives in the form of volume-based waste bags worth approximately 20 million KRW.
The outstanding neighborhoods will be selected at the end of the year based on a combined score calculated with a ratio of 30:50:20 from the reduction performance of waste emissions by district prepared by the district office, the separation performance by neighborhood, and the separation performance at recycling stations installed in each neighborhood. A total of 20 million KRW worth of volume-based waste bags will be provided to six neighborhoods (1 top neighborhood, 2 excellent neighborhoods, and 3 encouraging neighborhoods).
The incentive items will be distributed to the selected outstanding neighborhoods and will be given to residents attending events during waste reduction projects or various events in the respective neighborhoods as promotional items to reward waste reduction performance.
Regarding the Pay Back project, the key actions residents should focus on are "reducing household waste in daily life" and "thorough separation when disposing of waste." This includes reducing the use of disposable products, using reusable shopping bags to reduce plastic bag usage, removing food residues and other contaminants when disposing of recyclables, and prohibiting the mixing of recyclables in general volume-based waste bags.
Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, stated, "Our Eunpyeong-gu relies almost entirely on the metropolitan landfill site for the disposal of household waste, and the waste disposal fees imposed based on the amount brought in are the second highest in Seoul. The Pay Back project is part of the reduction initiative, and if residents pay a little attention to sorting recyclables before throwing waste into volume-based bags, it can greatly contribute to reducing waste in our district."
She added, "Last year, the mixed waste disposal rate decreased thanks to residents' participation. I hope that all residents will take pride in reducing household waste through small daily practices, receiving benefits, and contributing to environmental improvement together."
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