The Ministry of Environment announced on the 4th that it will implement the "Seol Holiday Household Waste Management Measures" to crack down on illegal dumping of garbage and prevent the accumulation of recyclable waste before and after the Lunar New Year holiday. The measures will be in effect from the 5th to the 14th of this month.
Recyclable Waste Management
First, to reduce the amount of waste generated from excessive packaging of holiday gift sets, joint inspections will be conducted with local governments to ensure compliance with product packaging standards.
Additionally, to facilitate smooth collection of recyclable waste discharged by each local government, available storage facilities such as sorting centers and temporary transfer stations nationwide will be secured.
Local governments across the country will operate 'processing situation teams' and 'mobile cleaning teams' during the holiday period and adjust collection schedules to enable dispersed waste disposal.
Additional 'separation bins' and 'food waste collection containers' will be placed around residential areas. By expanding the operation of public sorting centers, discharged waste will be processed promptly to minimize inconveniences such as odors caused by waste.
Meanwhile, the Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation plans to allow waste intake starting from the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the 12th, to minimize inconvenience for residents in the metropolitan area.
Promotion of Separate Disposal and Crackdown on Illegal Dumping
The Ministry of Environment plans to intensively promote proper disposal of large amounts of packaging materials such as fruit cushioning materials, delivery boxes, and Styrofoam discharged from households through elevators in buildings and public transportation.
Fruit cushioning materials that are difficult to recycle should be disposed of in designated volume-based waste bags, and paper or Styrofoam boxes must have tape and stickers removed before being separated as recyclables.
Patrols will be conducted during vulnerable times, especially in areas prone to habitual dumping, and guidance and crackdowns will be strengthened to eradicate illegal dumping at major roads, congested sections, rest areas, and other multi-use facilities.
Strengthening Management of Multi-use Facilities
At multi-use facilities such as highway rest areas and railway stations, where a large number of returning travelers are expected in a short period, information on separate disposal methods will be provided using promotional media such as electronic display boards.
Management measures such as reallocating cleaning personnel and installing additional mobile temporary garbage bins will be promoted to ensure timely removal of waste.
Yoo Seung-gwang, Director of the Resource Circulation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, "We will do our best to ensure that citizens do not experience inconvenience due to waste discarded during the holiday period," and added, "We will strive to make the Lunar New Year holiday enjoyable and pleasant through proper waste separation and disposal."
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