Imsil County, North Jeolla Province, announced on June 12 that it has newly installed collection boxes for waste pharmaceuticals at 10 apartment complexes within the county.
This new installation is part of efforts to prevent environmental pollution caused by residual pesticides and to ensure systematic collection and disposal. To this end, the county has also installed and is operating waste pesticide collection boxes at 12 township and town offices.
Imsil County has newly installed collection boxes for waste pesticides and waste pharmaceuticals at 10 apartment complexes. Photo by Imsil County
Until now, used pesticide containers have been classified as agricultural waste and sent to the Korea Environment Corporation for recycling. However, leftover waste pesticides or small quantities of waste pesticide containers required individuals to take them directly to the Korea Environment Corporation, which was inconvenient. As a result, some were improperly disposed of in fields, paddies, or around residential areas, creating difficulties in proper disposal.
The newly installed waste pesticide collection boxes at the township and town offices consist of two separate compartments: one for disposing of pesticide bottles containing leftover pesticides, and another for empty pesticide containers. Residents are required to separate their waste accordingly when disposing of it.
The county plans to have farmers who need to dispose of residual pesticides or empty pesticide containers visit their respective township or town offices and deposit them in the collection boxes. The county's Cleaning and Sanitation Division will then collect the waste, temporarily store it at the Gwancheon landfill, and subsequently ensure safe disposal of the waste pesticides through private contractors.
In addition, to ensure the safe and proper disposal of waste pharmaceuticals?which can also harm public health and the environment?the county has installed waste pharmaceutical collection boxes in easily visible and accessible recycling stations within apartment complexes.
This initiative aims to prevent expired or unused medicines from being indiscriminately discarded in standard garbage bags or down the drain, and to make it easier for residents to dispose of them properly.
Going forward, the county plans to increase the number of waste pharmaceutical collection boxes after reviewing the amount of waste pharmaceuticals being disposed of and the management status of the current boxes.
County Governor Shim Min stated, "We ask for active cooperation in the proper disposal of waste pesticides and pharmaceuticals, which can be hazardous to human health if not managed properly, in order to create a safe environment and a healthy society."
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