[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province is launching a service project to establish a reusable container circulation model. The project aims to replace single-use items used in cafes and build a system for using reusable containers for packaged beverages at the local government level.
On the 19th, the province announced that it held a kickoff meeting for the "Chungnam-type reusable container circulation model establishment service project for carbon neutrality" at the provincial office.
The project focuses on suppressing the use of single-use items through the use, collection, washing, and supply of reusable containers and establishing a circulation system for reusable container usage. It will be carried out until the end of this year.
The main contents of the project include ▲identifying the current status of beverage takeout packaging in the pilot project area and recruiting participating cafes ▲building and operating a reusable container service based on a dedicated app ▲integrated management of procedures for rental, collection, washing, and resupply of reusable cups ▲promotion of resident-participatory projects and monitoring usage performance ▲support and compliance checks for reusable containers (including accessories) at places with high single-use item consumption such as funeral halls ▲and suggesting improvements and solutions for issues in existing collection systems in other regions.
The pilot project will be implemented separately for the use of reusable cups instead of single-use cups when ordering takeout beverages and for expanding reusable container use at businesses with high single-use item consumption such as funeral halls.
The reusable cup pilot project will first operate at the Hope Cafe inside the government building and participating cafes. When ordering takeout beverages, customers will receive reusable cups provided by the province instead of single-use cups, and used cups will be returned to collection boxes set up at participating cafes and the Hope Cafe on the first floor of the provincial office.
Returned reusable cups are collected daily by the Chungnam Metropolitan Self-Sufficiency Center and go through a seven-step process including washing, sterilization, and disinfection before being supplied back to the cafes.
Jo Won-gap, Director of the Provincial Office of Autonomy and Safety, said, "The project aims to establish a reusable cup sharing system that is difficult for individual stores to implement on their own, thereby reducing the use of single-use items and promoting carbon neutrality. We will strive to create an exemplary case of practicing environmental protection and carbon neutrality in daily life through this project."
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