Seongdong-gu Leads ESG Administration by Promoting Transparent PET Bottle Separation and Disposal

[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu Leads Resource Circulation City with Corporate Collaboration for No-label and Eco-friendly Label Expansion & Improved Recycling Rate and 80% Increase in Sales from Transparent PET Bottle Separation ... Seongbuk-gu Hosts Public-Private Partnership Zero Waste Village Contest ... Gwangjin-gu Completes Crime Prevention Design with Lighting and Road Pavement Improvements, Autonomous Patrol Posts, and Old Railing Repairs in Junggok 4-dong Residential and Market Areas ... Seocho-gu Hosts Smart '23rd... at District Office Plaza and 2nd Floor Auditorium on the 7th

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, sorting recyclables together with resource managers at the recycling station

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that many companies are participating following last year's call for the use of transparent PET bottles among 28 domestic companies.

This has also led to an increase in the recycling sorting rate within the region, taking the lead in realizing ESG administration.

In October last year, Seongdong-gu conducted a survey on the awareness and experience of separating transparent PET bottle labels among 1,000 residents. As a result, 89% of respondents said they usually remove labels from PET bottles when sorting waste, and among them, 65.9% responded that "label removal is difficult" due to strong adhesion, etc.

Based on this survey, Seongdong-gu sent official letters to 28 companies producing food and beverage products that were mentioned at least once, requesting cooperation in using no-label or easily removable labels during product manufacturing. Since then, many companies such as Lotte Chilsung, LG Household & Health Care, Pulmuone Samul, and Binggrae have launched no-label beverages like bottled water distributed online, and although changes to existing beverages take time, they have responded that they will continue to improve.

Recently, Seongdong-gu surveyed the status of transparent PET bottle label improvements among the 28 companies that received the official letters and confirmed that 27 companies are using eco-friendly labels in the form of no-label or perforated lines.

An official from the district said, "We express our gratitude to the companies that participated in the cooperation request to spread proper waste separation and look forward to various collaborations to create a resource circulation ecosystem."

Seongdong-gu removes all PET bottle labels through the "Seongdong Purumi Recycling Station (hereafter Station)," a project that installs separate collection bins at residential hub locations for proper recycling waste separation. Residents and resource managers participating in label removal said, "Compared to last year, PET bottle labels are easier to remove, making the work smoother."

The transparent PET bottles with labels removed, collected through the Station and sent to the resource recovery center, have been recognized as top-grade quality by recycling processing companies. Based on improved recycling quality, the revenue from recycled goods sales increased by about 80% to approximately 1.18 billion KRW compared to the same period last year (about 660 million KRW).

As of July this year, the sorting rate of recyclables, including transparent PET bottles, in Seongdong-gu rose to 76% (`20: 55%, `21: 72%, `22: 76%), far exceeding the average sorting rate of 60.1% at 14 public sorting facilities in Seoul's autonomous districts last year.

These efforts to improve transparent PET bottle labels in Seongdong-gu are establishing a proper waste separation culture among residents and laying the foundation for growing into a resource circulation city where collected PET bottles are recycled into high value-added resources.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "We will continue to take the lead in creating a resource circulation city by cooperating with residents and companies not only in transparent PET bottle separation but also in reducing household waste. At a time when the climate crisis is a concern, we will create a sustainable city through Seongdong-gu's ESG administration."

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) is promoting a Zero Waste Village Creation contest project to spread awareness of zero waste and revitalize villages without disposable packaging, aiming to jointly consider environmental issues and implement solutions amid the recent surge in disposable product usage.

The Zero Waste Village Creation contest project is a public-private cooperation initiative planned by Seongbuk-gu and the Seongbuk-gu Village Social Economy Center, with residents participating as project execution teams.

The project period runs from June to October this year, covering two fields: ▲Seongbuk Village Zero Waste and ▲Bring Your Own Container# Project.

Since the 12th of last month, a "Shared Container Free Rental Center" has been installed and is operating successfully at Bukbudure Cooperative Jongam Branch (124 Jongam-ro 21-gil). Any resident needing a container to hold items can freely rent one.

Residents can visit zero waste stores in the neighborhood with the rented containers, pack items, use them, then wash and return the containers to the return box. The rental period is three days, and the shared container free rental center is scheduled to operate temporarily until October. Detailed usage instructions can be found on the Seongbuk-gu Office website.

Additionally, various "Seongbuk Village Zero Waste" programs such as education and experiences to spread awareness of zero waste importance and zero waste village campaigns will be held from September to October to help residents practice zero waste lifestyles in daily life.

An official from Seongbuk-gu said, "We ask many residents to take an interest in environmental protection and participate in zero waste activities to reduce disposable product use in Seongbuk-gu. We plan to promote more developed village projects that residents can feel in their daily lives."

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) has completed the Junggok 4-dong Safe Living Design project, providing residents with a safe and beautiful living environment.

The Safe Living Design project was prepared to prevent crime and improve residents' quality of life by installing crime prevention facilities appropriately reflecting regional characteristics.

The project target area, including 45-47 Ginkgo-rang-ro in Junggok 4-dong, Yongmasan-ro 28na-da-gil, and the Sinseong Alley Market area, is adjacent to Achasan Mountain with significant elevation differences between houses, and narrow, dark alleys with deteriorated environments that limited nighttime activities.

To improve this, the district listened to residents' opinions through surveys and merchant briefings since last year, conducted joint public-private field investigations, and Safe Living Design reviews, completing the project in August this year.

As a result, LED wall lights and illuminated mailboxes were installed in residential areas to brighten alleys, and the neighborhood watch post was improved to strengthen crime prevention. At Sinseong Alley Market, 20 illuminated signs were installed to turn on automatically at sunset, and the road was paved orange, transforming the market alleys into bright and safe places.

Additionally, sturdy railings were built on low walls with fall risks, reflective mirrors and handrails were installed on old stairs to enhance living safety. Bus stop No. 02 was improved, and house fences and gates were freshly painted to add design to living spaces.

Especially reflecting residents' opinions as much as possible, a rest area with exercise facilities was newly created in the village open space, and a safe shelter was conveniently maintained, not only improving safety but also providing a new community space, increasing resident satisfaction.

Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, "The safety of residents is the top priority in district administration. We will continue to communicate with residents and promote various safety policies that residents can feel."

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will hold a commemorative ceremony and smart welfare experience event on the 7th at the district office plaza and auditorium under the theme "THE Smart Seocho Welfare: Happy Today and Looking Forward to Tomorrow" to mark the 23rd Social Welfare Day.

Hosted by the district and organized by the Seocho-gu Community Security Council, this public-private cooperative event was prepared to meet residents' welfare needs and encourage interest and participation in social welfare. Due to COVID-19, the event had been held online but will resume as an in-person event after three years.

Especially, the smart welfare experience and promotion booths set up in the district office plaza feature participation from 21 welfare institutions in the region, introducing various projects and allowing residents to directly experience Seocho-style smart welfare.

At the smart booths, visitors can experience various welfare projects through smart devices such as the elderly care companion robot "Bokdori," health and safety management solutions for solitary seniors using IoT and AI (doll) smart customized care, AI smart schooling devices, game robot experiences, AI coding robot experiences, Oculus VR job experiences, tablet PC-based disability experiences, and smart health checks.

The experience booths also offer diverse activities such as digital postcard design with calligraphy, Polaroid photo shoots with welfare themes, self-photo studio experiences, mole game arcade operation, and audiovisual experience counseling bus operation.

Additionally, a commemorative ceremony will be held from 10 a.m. on the second floor auditorium. The popera group "Pomas" will start with a classical performance, followed by awards to social welfare contributors who have devoted themselves to promoting welfare in Seocho-gu.

The district expects this event to help residents understand various smart welfare projects and provide an opportunity for those in need to get closer to services suited to them.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, "We will continue to actively discover welfare policies closely related to residents' lives and strive to provide a Seocho where residents are happy today and look forward to tomorrow."