Nation's First Installation of Smart Waste Cooking Oil Collection Machines (Unmanned) at 4 Community Centers Near Traditional Markets...Cash-Equivalent Points Provided Based on Volume When Containers with Waste Oil Are Deposited...Collected Waste Oil Recycled into Eco-Friendly Materials Like Biodiesel
Waste cooking oil is gaining importance as an eco-friendly energy source that is reborn as raw material for biofuels such as biodiesel, replacing fossil fuels. However, the amount discarded exceeds the amount collected.
Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Junhee) has taken active steps to promote the collection and recycling of waste cooking oil.
Until now, the district collected waste cooking oil by having residents pour it into drums placed in large apartment complexes or community centers. However, managing the drums was difficult, and residents had to take back the bottles they brought to collect the oil, causing inconvenience.
To resolve residents' inconvenience and activate waste cooking oil recycling, the district installed smart collection bins for waste cooking oil at four community centers near traditional markets in the area (▲Sinsa-dong ▲Sillim-dong ▲Sinwon-dong ▲Cheongnyong-dong), the first such initiative nationwide.
The smart collection bins are very simple to use: users just insert the container holding the waste cooking oil directly into the machine. Various containers can be inserted, including cooking oil containers and PET water bottles.
The inserted waste cooking oil is rewarded with points individually based on volume and market price, and these points can later be redeemed for cash, which has received very positive responses from residents.
The district plans to analyze resident usage rates and accessibility to decide on additional installation locations and aims to operate up to 10 smart collection bins within the area.
It is also expected that the installation of smart collection bins will increase the amount of waste cooking oil collected and spread a culture of recycling.
Park Junhee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, said, "With the installation of these waste cooking oil smart collection bins, residents can dispose of waste cooking oil more conveniently and receive incentives, which is expected to activate resource recycling. We will continue to implement various policies to promote resource circulation."
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