"From the New Year, No More Disposable Cups"... Gyeongbuk Office of Education Reveals Carbon Neutrality Action Plan

Gyeongbuk Office of Education.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Koo Dae-sun] The Gyeongbuk Office of Education announced on the 27th that it will implement the 'Disposable Cup-Free Ecological Transition Education' starting from the new year.

'Disposable Cup-Free Ecological Transition Gyeongbuk Education' is based on the consensus that collective action is necessary for a sustainable society in the era of climate crisis, and has set specific tasks to practice disposable cup-free education in Gyeongbuk.

To this end, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education will first hold a proclamation ceremony in the new year, followed by relay proclamation ceremonies in order at affiliated institutions, education support offices, and elementary, middle, and high schools.

Additionally, the use of disposable cups will be restricted at all future events hosted by the Gyeongbuk Office of Education, and event notification letters will include the phrase, "Please bring your personal reusable containers (such as tumblers) when attending."

Disposable cup use is also prohibited at Edu Cafes within the Gyeongbuk Office of Education, where only reusable containers will be used. Considering personal hygiene, users who do not wish to use reusable containers must bring their own personal reusable containers. Naturally, the use of disposable paper cups is also restricted in each department of the Gyeongbuk Office of Education.

Paper cups emit 11.3 times more greenhouse gases than reusable containers (300mL, annual basis), and producing 250 paper cups requires one 15-year-old pine tree. In South Korea, the usage of disposable cups sharply increased from 19.1 billion in 2009 to 29.4 billion in 2018, causing serious resource waste and waste disposal costs.

Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Education, said, "If students and staff in Gyeongbuk reduce the use of paper cups together, we can save 460,000 pine trees annually," and added, "Let us practice disposable cup-free ecological transition Gyeongbuk education together for an environment where humans coexist and a sustainable society."