Nowon-gu Promotes Free Collection of Abandoned Bicycles in Homes

Abandoned Bicycles Requiring Large Waste Disposal Collected for 'Free'
Collection Expanded to Include Abandoned Bicycles in Homes as Well as Public Places
Collected Bicycles Recycled into Refurbished Bicycles to Contribute to Carbon Neutrality

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will expand its project from collecting bicycles abandoned in public places to free collection of bicycles left unattended inside homes.

Until now, bicycles abandoned in public places such as roads and bicycle racks have been collected by the district office under the "Act on the Promotion of Bicycle Use," but this law does not apply to private property, so the management entity has been disposing of them as "large waste" at a certain cost.

To improve urban aesthetics and promote bicycle use, the district has been collecting bicycles abandoned in public places year-round and conducting intensive collection periods twice a year for bicycles left on private property. However, encouraged by residents' positive response, this year the target will be expanded to include bicycles left unattended inside homes.

Any resident living in Nowon-gu can apply by visiting their local community service center. However, to ensure smooth processing, the application schedule is divided by district, so detailed information should be checked on the district office website.

Collection will be carried out sequentially according to the application and collection schedule by district from July 1 to August 31.

Collected bicycles will be classified as scrap metal and discarded depending on the degree of abandonment, or reborn as "refurbished bicycles" through parts replacement and repairs. Refurbished bicycles produced through maintenance by skilled technicians recycle all parts except safety-related components, making them comparable to new bicycles, while their price is about 30% cheaper than market price.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, "As the number of people using bicycles, an eco-friendly mode of transportation, increases, so does the number of discarded bicycles. Refurbished bicycles made through parts replacement and repairs help reduce carbon emissions generated when manufacturing new bicycles, contributing to carbon neutrality, so we hope for active participation."