Rapid Increase in PET Bottle Usage Due to COVID-19 and Rise in Single-Person Households... Concerns Over Waste Crisis
Mapo-gu Installs IoT and Hub-Type Transparent PET Bottle Disposal Bins, Enabling Separation and Disposal Anytime, Anywhere
Mapo-gu’s Efforts to Improve Systems to Enhance Recycling Effectiveness Worth Noting
Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, is examining clothing made using 15 transparent PET bottles at the transparent PET bottle upcycling experience space located on the first floor of Mapo District Office.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) has rolled up its sleeves to reduce plastic, a major cause of environmental pollution, and to establish a sustainable virtuous cycle for recyclable resources by promoting the collection and utilization of high-quality transparent PET bottles.
South Korea ranks among the top countries worldwide in per capita plastic usage. In particular, the spread of delivery culture due to COVID-19 and social changes from the increase in single-person households have significantly increased plastic waste generation, raising concerns about a waste crisis.
Among these, transparent PET bottles are easier to separate and dispose of compared to other recyclables and have low contamination levels. Since December 25, 2021, a separate disposal system for transparent PET bottles has been fully implemented, but it has yet to be fully established in practice.
In response, Mapo-gu is making multifaceted policy efforts to reduce household waste through proper recycling separation and to recover and utilize high-quality transparent PET bottles.
First, to raise interest in resource circulation and encourage voluntary participation through a reward system such as point provision, the district installed 30 “transparent PET bottle-only disposal bins” using Internet of Things (IoT) technology throughout the area.
The disposal bins are located in youth-dense areas with high PET bottle usage such as universities, dormitories, and youth housing, as well as places frequently visited by residents like the district gymnasium, community centers, and social welfare centers.
Additionally, to alleviate residents’ inconvenience caused by the designated transparent PET bottle disposal day every Wednesday and to minimize contamination from mixed recyclables, the district produced and installed a total of 10 hub-type transparent PET bottle disposal bins?five each in Seongsan 1-dong and Sinsu-dong, where single-family houses predominate?that allow for continuous disposal.
In this way, Mapo-gu has established a continuous collection system enabling residents to separate and dispose of high-quality transparent PET bottles anytime and anywhere, beyond the transparent PET bottle disposal days designated by Seoul City.
A district official stated, “Collected transparent PET bottles will be first crushed at the Mapo-gu Resource Circulation Department’s garage as raw materials for recycled products and then sold to contracted manufacturers to ensure resource circulation.”
Mapo-gu’s efforts to improve systems to reduce plastic waste generation and enhance recycling effectiveness are also worth noting.
In November 2022, as a solution to waste problems, the district formally proposed amendments to the “Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources” to the Ministry of Environment to realize “bottle to bottle” recycling (repeated circulation from plastic bottle to plastic bottle), including ▲making all containers from colorless transparent PET material ▲mandating installation of transparent PET bottle sorting facilities in private sorting centers ▲expanding the transparent PET bottle resource circulation deposit system.
As the carbon-neutral era approaches, Mapo-gu’s efforts to establish a virtuous cycle system for transparent PET bottle recycling are expected to attract significant attention for protecting the environment and realizing social value as an eco-friendly economic model.
Meanwhile, as Seoul City selected Mapo-gu as a candidate site for a new metropolitan resource recovery facility, Mapo-gu is calling for a complete cancellation. Mayor Park Gang-su emphasized, “Incineration of household waste is not the only answer. We must reconsider the importance of resource recycling in the circular economy era and devise measures to reduce incineration volume by promoting recyclable separation.”
Seodaemun-gu Discovers and Nurtures Youth Venture Companies Based in the Region
Recruiting Startup Teams in Four Areas (▲Carbon Neutrality ▲Health Care ▲4th Industrial Revolution ▲Revitalization of Local Markets)
Selection in Early Next Month Through Document Screening and Startup Camp (1:1 Coaching, Competency Diagnosis, Contest, etc.)
Support Includes Commercialization Funds (Up to 20 Million KRW), Startup Space, and Investment Attraction Consulting
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) is discovering and nurturing youth venture companies that will solve pressing social issues and local agendas with creative ideas and innovative business models.
The target is teams planning to start a business or within five years of establishment in the region, composed of at least three youths aged 39 or younger.
The business fields are ▲carbon neutrality ▲health care ▲4th industrial revolution ▲revitalization of local markets. Fourteen teams will be selected early next month through document screening and a startup camp.
The “startup camp” includes sector-specific startup lectures, business model strategy workshops, 1:1 mentoring and competency diagnosis, and a final contest, held between the 23rd of this month and the 9th of next month.
Evaluation criteria for selection include understanding of the local venture nurturing project, entrepreneurial qualities, suitability to local agendas, business model competitiveness, and growth potential as a Seodaemun regional company.
Selected teams will receive up to 20 million KRW in commercialization funds, startup space, and consulting (corporate establishment, organizational transformation, promotion, investment attraction) from next month until the end of the year. They will also have opportunities such as “linkage with youth hub spaces in the district” and “joint planning of policy projects.”
Applicants can apply by the 15th of this month by referring to the public notice on the Seodaemun-gu website.
Mayor Lee Seong-heon of Seodaemun-gu said, “We will strive to effectively link policy projects and support the selected startup teams through this contest so that they can grow into representative youth companies in our region.”
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