'500 Years to Decompose' How to Recycle Ice Packs?

Nowon-gu installs collection boxes at 276 locations including 19 community service centers and 257 apartment complexes... Donation to seafood markets in Sinan-gun and Wando-gun, Jeonnam

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) will implement an ice pack recycling project starting on the 21st to reduce household waste and promote resource circulation.

Gel-type ice packs made from superabsorbent polymer (SAP), a type of microplastic, do not dissolve in water and take 500 years to naturally decompose, making them a major cause of environmental pollution.

In particular, due to the surge in refrigerated and frozen food deliveries caused by COVID-19, the distribution and disposal of ice packs have become a serious issue since last year.

Accordingly, the district has installed dedicated collection boxes at 19 community service centers and all 257 apartment complexes in the area to recycle the disposed ice packs. It is expected that up to 5,000 ice packs will be collected monthly through this initiative.

The recyclable ice packs are gel-type ones that are not contaminated or damaged. For ice packs containing water instead of gel, residents should empty the contents and separately dispose of the paper and plastic packaging.

Ice packs collected from residents will be picked up by a professional sterilization company, which will sort recyclable products and carry out washing and sterilization before reuse.

The final suppliers are Wando and Sinan in Jeollanam-do, which have agreements with the district. These areas have high demand for ice packs needed for packaging seafood shipped nationwide, so this project is expected to achieve a win-win effect by protecting the environment and supporting the local economies of both regions.

Meanwhile, the district is leading efforts for resource circulation through recycling. In May, it opened a recycling center at the Sangye 1-dong Administrative Complex Town. This is the third recycling center in the area, following centers in Gongneung 2-dong and Junggye 1-dong. The three-story Nowon-gu Recycling Center 3rd Hall has been designed as a fresh shopping space, breaking away from the old image of recycling centers, and features exhibitions of artworks made from recycled materials, making it easier to convey the value of resource circulation.

Additionally, the ‘Reuse Store’ in the underground shopping area of Nowon Station, which sells quality household goods and miscellaneous items at affordable prices, and the ‘Recycling Market’ in Sangye 5-dong, where used batteries and milk cartons can be exchanged for new products or volume-based waste bags, also play key roles in creating an eco-friendly city.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “Resource circulation that anyone can easily participate in is the first step toward environmental protection,” adding, “We will actively promote various projects that allow residents to participate in resource circulation in their daily lives, such as reusing ice packs.”