Combining Friendly Design, Practicality, and Environmental Value All at Once
Starting this month, Yongsan-gu in Seoul will produce and sell new volume-based waste bags featuring the district's official promotional dogs, the 'Daengfluencer' (a combination of 'Daengdaengi' and 'influencer'), as characters. The newly introduced waste bags come in a total of 20 types, including standard bags and special sacks, and can be easily purchased by anyone at existing sales locations such as convenience stores and large supermarkets within Yongsan-gu.
The 'Daengfluencer' dogs are three promotional dogs, all of whom are rescues, selected in May last year through a vote by approximately 4,300 residents. The group consists of a small dog named Kkungi, a medium-sized dog named Beta, and a large dog named Seongwoo. They have been featured in various media, including the district newsletter, YouTube, and KakaoTalk emoticons, playing a leading role in promoting district policies. Since March of this year, they have also served as models for the volume-based waste bags.
This new line of waste bags goes beyond a simple design change by incorporating both practicality and environmental value. Depending on the size of the bag, the characters Kkungi (5 and 10 liters), Beta (20 and 30 liters), and Seongwoo (50, 75, and 100 liters) are featured, allowing users to intuitively distinguish the bag's capacity.
Next to each character, a speech bubble clearly indicates items that are prohibited from disposal, and by scanning the QR code in the lower right corner, users can access information on proper waste disposal methods via their smartphones.
Yongsan-gu stated, "We have improved the waste bags to be more friendly and practical, moving away from the rigid image of the previous bags," and added, "We hope that the character designs will encourage residents to participate voluntarily in recycling and help reduce carbon emissions." Meanwhile, previously purchased waste bags can continue to be used, and there will be no changes to the price or color of the bags.
Park Heeyoung, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, "It is deeply meaningful that the 'Daengfluencer' dogs, who were once strays, have now become the district's representative promotional dogs and are part of residents' daily lives," and added, "We hope that this small change will transform the culture of waste separation in everyday life and become a powerful force in protecting the environment."
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