[Seoul District News] Seocho-gu, on the morning of the 3rd, marks the 50th anniversary of 'World Environment Day' with the Pureun Seocho Environmental Action Group to promote the value of resource recycling through the 'One and Only Earth: Seocho Plastic Free Campaign'... Gangnam-gu exchanges transparent PET bottles for eco-friendly products
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seocho-gu is conducting the “One and Only Earth: Seocho Plastic Free Campaign” on the 3rd, together with the Pureun Seocho Environmental Action Group, to convey the value of resource recycling in celebration of the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day.
World Environment Day is held annually on June 5th and was established in 1972 to encourage the international community to make joint efforts to protect the global environment.
This campaign by the district, along with the Pureun Seocho Environmental Action Group and environmental organizations, has been ongoing since last year to reduce the use of disposable products and plastics and to foster a culture of resource recycling.
The campaign will take place for one hour starting at 10:30 a.m. on the 3rd at three locations: in front of Seocho 4-dong Community Center, between Bangbae Hometown 1st and 2nd complexes in Bangbae 4-dong, and Yangjae Neighborhood Park in Yangjae 2-dong. Residents who bring five used water bottles will receive reusable glass airtight containers in exchange.
The collected used water bottles will be delivered to local companies, which will recycle them into fiber yarn to create bags or clothing as recycled resources.
Last year, about 1,200 used water bottles were collected, and this year the goal is to collect 1,500.
The district expects this campaign to achieve a dual effect by encouraging voluntary participation from residents, promoting resource circulation and environmental pollution prevention in the local community, and reducing foreign currency outflow by decreasing imports of transparent PET bottles to secure high-quality recycled raw materials.
Meanwhile, along with the campaign, the district plans to expand the resource recycling store “Zero Shop,” which has been operating since last year, from 100 locations to 300 this year, aiming to reduce 18,283 kg of carbon dioxide annually.
Zero Shop is a carbon-neutral focused project where residents directly deliver reusable but discarded items such as hangers, shopping bags, and ice packs to laundries, butcher shops, and stationery stores for reuse. Last year, a total of 55,752 reusable items were collected, resulting in a reduction of 7,507 kg of carbon dioxide annually.
Choi Hee-young, head of the Climate and Environment Division, said, “We will continue to expand resource recycling projects that residents can easily practice in daily life and do our best to realize carbon neutrality.”
Gangnam-gu is implementing the “Transparent PET Bottle Separate Collection Incentive Program” starting from the 2nd to establish a culture of separate collection of transparent PET bottles by collecting PET bottles and exchanging them for eco-friendly products.
If you bring transparent PET bottles that have been washed inside and had their labels removed to the community center or the “Gangnam Ae Green Village Vitality Center” located in Daechi-dong, you can receive one stamp for every 10 bottles of 1.2 liters or more, or 20 bottles of less than 1.2 liters. When you fill 10 stamps on a coupon and visit the Village Vitality Center, you can exchange it for eco-friendly products worth 5,000 won.
Currently, Gangnam-gu is running an event where the first 150 people can exchange a coupon with 10 stamps for an eco-friendly product kit worth 20,000 won.
The Gangnam Ae Green Village Vitality Center offers a variety of eco-friendly products ranging from 1,000 won to 10,000 won, including solid toothpaste and bath additives. The limited product kits available can be chosen from three types: Starter, Bathroom, and Kitchen kits. Additionally, a “Refill Station” is operated where detergents and other products can be portioned into personal containers and exchanged for coupons.
Im Dong-ho, head of the Resident Autonomy Division, said, “This project was launched to realize ‘Must-Environment City Gangnam,’ where resources circulate,” and added, “We will strive to activate the incentive program so that the culture of separate collection of disposable containers becomes established in daily life.”
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