Leading Resource Circulation and Carbon Neutral Society, Recycling Waste Resources ... Protecting the Environment and Helping Neighbors
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gui-yeol] Gyeongbuk Province and Cheongdo County held this year's Saemaeul Environment Revival event on the morning of the 28th at the Cheongdocheon riverside.
The event was attended by about 1,500 people, including Yoo Je-cheol, Vice Minister of Environment, Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Education, Kim Ha-su, Mayor of Cheongdo County, Shin Chang-eon, President of the Korea Resource Circulation Federation, Lee Jong-pyeong, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Saemaeul Association, and Saemaeul leaders from 23 cities and counties.
This year, the event was held at the provincial level to signify the expansion of the environmental revival projects, which have been independently conducted in Cheongdo County for over 20 years, to all cities and counties.
Saemaeul leaders from cities and counties participated together in the event to observe and experience resource circulation sites and to reaffirm their commitment to a carbon-neutral society.
Additionally, from this year, the province will provide provincial subsidies to support cities and counties in conducting their own Saemaeul environment revival events, and at the end of the year, awards will be given to the best cities and counties in the environmental revival field through the Saemaeul comprehensive evaluation.
At the event, in addition to commemorative activities such as a recycling collection contest, commendations for meritorious persons, recycled instrument performances, upcycling exhibitions, Saemaeul Movement photo exhibitions, and environmental experiences, various side events with diverse content were added to enrich the event.
Not only Saemaeul leaders but also local educational institutions and foreign students from Park Chung-hee Saemaeul Graduate School at Yeungnam University participated, providing a valuable opportunity to directly observe and experience the recycling collection sites.
The Saemaeul environment revival is an environmental movement led by Saemaeul leaders throughout the towns, townships, and neighborhoods of cities and counties, working with local residents to convert waste resources into usable materials. The profits gained through this are used for community sharing, such as repairing homes for neighbors in need and delivering daily necessities to marginalized groups.
The recycling collection contest gathers about ten types of recyclable items, including scrap metal, aluminum cans, waste paper, used clothes, used batteries, and PET bottles.
To minimize the time vehicles stay at the event site on the day of the event, pre-weighed items were separately collected starting five days before the event to ensure smooth traffic flow of loaded vehicles within the event site on the day.
Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “As was the case during the recovery from the typhoon damage in Pohang and Gyeongju, I sincerely thank the Saemaeul leaders who take the lead whenever the region faces difficulties. We will elevate the Saemaeul environment revival movement to a second Saemaeul Movement that saves the global environment.”
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