Junggu Recycling Waste Volume-Based Bag Exchange 'Hot Demand'

Junggu Increases Resident Participation by Exchanging Transparent PET Bottles and Paper Packs for Volume-Based Waste Bags
From May 16, Waste Vinyl Included in Exchange Items, Total of 6 Recyclable Items Eligible
45,892 Participants in 2023 (38% Junggu Residents) Exchanged 163,141 Volume-Based Waste Bags
Selected for Seoul City Volume-Based Waste Bag Smart Management Contest, Expecting Efficient and Transparent Management

Jung-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Gil-seong) will add waste vinyl to the recyclable waste volume-based bag exchange program starting May 16.

With the addition of waste vinyl to the existing exchangeable items?transparent PET bottles, paper packs, waste batteries, cans, and glass bottles?the total number of recyclable items eligible for exchange will increase to six.

As direct landfill disposal at the Sudokwon Landfill Site will be banned from 2026, Jung-gu has been strongly promoting policies to reduce household waste through a "waste diet" and maximize recycling collection rates to expand resource circulation. A representative initiative is the "Recyclable Waste Volume-Based Bag Exchange Program with Residents."

If residents collect 20 transparent PET bottles, 1 kg of paper packs, 20 waste batteries, 20 cans, 20 glass bottles, and 1 kg of waste vinyl and bring them to a nearby community service center or the Saerom Waste Research Institute every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., they can exchange them for 10ℓ volume-based bags. Each person can receive up to three bags per week. Since this is for recycling, items should be washed clean, labels removed, and placed in transparent bags before bringing them.

The volume-based bag exchange program, which started in 2021, has received enthusiastic responses from residents. In 2021, 4,410 people exchanged 14,852 volume-based bags for recyclable waste; in 2022, 29,849 people exchanged 105,111 bags; and in 2023, 45,892 people exchanged 163,141 bags, showing a steadily increasing participation rate. This means that over 38% of Jung-gu’s population of about 120,000 participated last year alone.

Thanks to these efforts, the allowable amount of household waste from Jung-gu to the Sudokwon Landfill Site and Mapo Resource Recovery Facility was 53,860 tons last year, but the actual amount delivered was 48,405 tons, achieving a reduction of 5,455 tons. This represents a 10% reduction compared to the quota.

Accordingly, Jung-gu was selected as the top district in the "2023 Household Waste Import Management System Evaluation" conducted by Seoul City in March and received an incentive of 783 million KRW, marking the first place in household waste reduction for four consecutive years.

Additionally, Jung-gu was selected for Seoul City's pilot project for smart management of volume-based bags among autonomous districts and will receive 20 million KRW in city funds. This will enable the establishment of a computerized system to monitor the inflow and outflow, inventory, and import status of volume-based bags in real time, allowing for efficient and transparent management of the bags. Three autonomous districts, including Jung-gu, were selected by Seoul City.

Mayor Kim Gil-seong stated, "Thanks to the active participation of residents in the volume-based bag exchange program, Jung-gu has achieved the remarkable feat of ranking first in the import management evaluation for four consecutive years," adding, "Jung-gu will continue to do its best with residents to reduce waste and promote resource circulation."