Changwon Special City Takes First Step Toward Disposable-Free Funeral Culture

Use of Reusable Containers in Funeral Homes: Public and Private

Agreement Signed with Participation of 5 Large Funeral Homes

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam has taken the first step toward creating a funeral culture free of disposable products.

On the 23rd at 11 a.m., the city signed a business agreement in Meeting Room 3 with Gyeongsangnam-do Masan Medical Center, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Changwon Hanmaeum Hospital, Changwon Fatima Hospital, Changwon Gyeongsang National University Hospital, and Changwon Regional Self-Support Center to promote an "Eco-friendly Funeral Culture Without Disposable Products."

On the 23rd, Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam signed an agreement to create an eco-friendly funeral culture without disposable products in Meeting Room 3.

This agreement is a collaborative effort between the city, funeral homes, and the regional self-support center to reduce the use of disposable items such as cups, spoons, plates, and containers commonly used in funeral halls.

Funeral homes, a representative industry with high disposable product usage, have long used disposable items indiscriminately due to their convenience for single use and disposal. However, this agreement is expected to serve as an opportunity to switch from disposable products to reusable containers within funeral homes.

The city established a public washing facility for reusable containers at Hwacheon Branch of Bukmyeon Elementary School and held a completion ceremony on the 18th. The project implementation and operation are managed by the Changwon Regional Self-Support Center, the subsidized business operator.

Masan Medical Center, which has a public funeral hall, has taken the lead and plans to implement the use of reusable containers for the first time in June. The four large private funeral homes participating in the agreement also plan to join in the second half of the year.

There are 19 funeral homes in the area, and it is estimated that more than 1 million (5 tons) disposable products are used and discarded annually at a single funeral home.

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, said, “I am pleased to take the first step toward an eco-friendly funeral culture through this voluntary agreement. We hope to establish a foundation to promote the use of reusable containers so that all funeral homes in the area can eventually switch to reusable containers.” He added, “We ask for the interest and participation of companies, citizens, and everyone to help establish an eco-friendly funeral culture that reduces the use of disposable products.”