Gwangju Gwangsan-gu 'Transparent PET Bottle Separate Disposal Day' Operation

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 22nd that it will pilot the operation of the ‘Transparent PET Bottle Separate Collection Day with Residents’ to promote the proper separate collection of transparent PET bottles.

Following the Ministry of Environment guidelines, the transparent PET bottle separate collection system has been expanded to all areas including single-family houses and commercial buildings since December 25 last year, aiming to encourage citizens' interest and participation.

The plan is to operate the Transparent PET Bottle Separate Collection Day once or twice a month in each neighborhood, providing incentives to citizens who properly separate and dispose of transparent PET bottles.

On the designated day, if residents bring 30 transparent PET bottles that have been emptied, had their labels removed, crushed, and capped to the neighborhood administrative welfare center (or another location designated by the neighborhood), they will receive one 10L volume-based waste bag.

Not only residents of Gwangsan-gu but also organizations can participate, and Gwangsan-gu plans to promote citizen participation by organizing collection performance competitions and operating collection days for social organizations.

A Gwangsan-gu official said, “We will continue to carry out various promotional and support projects to promote the proper separate collection and recycling of transparent PET bottles,” and added, “We hope for citizens’ participation so that the transparent PET bottle separate collection system can be well established.”

For detailed information about the operation of the ‘Transparent PET Bottle Separate Collection Day with Residents,’ please contact the Gwangsan-gu Cleaning Administration Division or the nearest neighborhood administrative welfare center.

Meanwhile, transparent PET bottles are high-quality resources that can be recycled into textile fibers for clothing, cosmetic containers, and food containers, but recycling is often difficult because they are frequently mixed with general plastics during disposal.

In response, Gwangsan-gu has established a collaborative system with companies such as SK Chemicals to recycle transparent PET bottles into eco-friendly cosmetic containers, and is making various efforts for resource circulation, including distributing dedicated transparent PET bottle disposal bags free of charge to single-family houses and commercial buildings.