"Diapers in Freshback Are Too Much" Coupang Man's Appeal

Introducing FreshBack to Reduce Disposable Boxes
"When Opened Upon Return, Various Household Wastes Found"

E-commerce company Coupang introduced reusable Rocket Fresh Bags in 2020 to strengthen its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) capabilities. Contrary to the purpose of the Fresh Bags, which is to reduce the use of disposable boxes, some users have been engaging in thoughtless behavior by misusing the Fresh Bags, causing public outrage.

A person identifying himself as a Coupang delivery driver, Mr. A, shared on an online community on the 22nd, "I wasn't the one affected, but this came up in a group chat among delivery drivers, and it's ridiculous," and shared the content.

In the photo posted by Mr. A, the Fresh Bag contained various trash such as used diapers, wet wipes, and paper. Some Fresh Bags that were supposed to be collected were found buried in piles of garbage.

He explained, "I don't understand why people put their child's dirty diapers in there," adding, "For those who don't know, the Fresh Bags are unfolded before being returned by the collectors to the center. There are places at the center to dispose of shipping labels or ice packs, so those are either thrown away there or handled accordingly."

He continued, "There are frequent cases where trash is found inside the Fresh Bags, so among drivers, they call them 'trash bags.' The way people order Fresh Bags and leave them outside their homes is also problematic," he pointed out.

Mr. A lamented, "If the Fresh Bag is not left at the door but instead discarded with trash in a collection spot or left in an unknown location where the driver cannot find it, the app marks it as 'uncollected Fresh Bag,' forcing the driver to repeatedly visit that house during deliveries."

The Freshbag in the photo posted by Mr. A contained various trash such as used diapers, wet wipes, and paper. [Photo by Online Community]

He added, "Because there is a promise to customers to guarantee delivery by 7 o'clock, I have no time to eat or rest. If I do a sloppy job, the delivery area I cover will be reassigned to someone else, and I won't be able to work for at least a week," he confessed.

Mr. A also stated, "Even if we collect the Fresh Bags, we only get paid 100 to 200 won. Considering the delivery fee is 3,000 won, people might think delivery drivers receive the full 3,000 won, but that's not true," explaining, "Due to product reception, intermediate transportation, and company fees, the amount that actually reaches the delivery driver is only a few hundred to at most a few thousand won per delivery."

Finally, Mr. A appealed, "I hope people will not throw their conscience away in the Fresh Bags."

Netizens who saw this expressed outrage, saying things like, "This is really too much. I can't understand how someone thinks of returning the bag with trash inside," "If there's trash, why not just dump it in front of their door and leave?" "No need to criticize China," and "Penalize members who put trash in the bags."