Efforts to Reduce Plastic Effective Through Less Use of Disposables and Promotion of Eco-Friendly Container Discounts
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Woowa Brothers, operator of Baedal Minjok (Baemin), announced on the 30th that it has been selected for the top group in the '2020 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Business Index' (SDGBI).
The UN SDGBI is a management analysis index published since 2016 by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Association, a special consultative status organization of the UN Economic and Social Council. It evaluates the sustainability of companies pursuing business activities that best align with the international community's common goals in areas such as human rights, environment, economy, and society.
This year, 3,000 companies including 1,000 domestic and 2,000 overseas candidates were evaluated, with 300 global and 173 domestic companies included. Among them, Woowa Brothers was the only delivery platform company selected for the UN SDGBI top group.
This selection was largely due to Woowa Brothers' actively implemented plastic reduction campaign. Since April last year, Woowa Brothers introduced the 'Use Less Disposable Items' feature in the Baemin app, which has been joined by over 10 million people to date. This single feature has had the effect of planting 1.85 million trees.
In May, Woowa Brothers signed a 'Voluntary Agreement to Reduce Packaging and Delivery Plastic Usage' with the Ministry of Environment, Korea Plastic Container Association, Korea Franchise Association, and the Resource Circulation Social Solidarity. In September, Baemin Sanghoe, a shopping mall exclusively for restaurants and business owners, supplied some eco-friendly packaging items at a 20% discounted price. Most of Baemin Sanghoe's eco-friendly products are made from natural additive materials such as corn extracts and biodegrade within 180 days, returning to their natural state.
With this selection, Woowa Brothers will receive the 'ESG Certificate,' awarded to companies practicing sound management activities in areas such as environment, society, and governance. It is also expected to be recommended as a partner company for the UN-selected international eco-certification 'GRP (Guidelines for Plastic Reduction and Climate Change Response),' announced every May. Kim Beom-jun, CEO of Woowa Brothers, said, "The policies we have been implementing to fulfill our social responsibilities have been recognized by a credible international organization," adding, "As an innovative platform company representing Korea, we will strive even harder to lead a sustainable future."
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