"Achieving Waste Reduction and Circular Resource System"
Seo District in Gwangju (District Mayor Lee Ikang) announced on July 7 that it has installed 12 additional automatic recycling collection machines to strengthen its sustainable circular resource system.
The newly installed automatic collection machines have been placed in key residential areas with high accessibility for residents, specifically: Ssanghak Children's Park (2 units), Pungam Lake Park, Chipyeong Children's Park, Naebang Children's Park, Kongkong Children's Park, Hwachu Children's Park, Yudeok Children's Park, Sangmu 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center, Hwajeong 4-dong Administrative Welfare Center, Kumho 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center, and the Seo District Office, thereby improving user convenience.
These machines automatically crush transparent PET bottles into 'flake' form for storage and award points according to the amount deposited. The points can be used like cash, and the stored flakes are recycled through dedicated processes and reused as resources.
The newly introduced collection machines use a crushing technology, unlike the previous compression type, which increases storage efficiency. They are also equipped with a function that automatically returns colored PET bottles with labels or contamination, making it advantageous for securing high-quality raw materials. Users can check the location of the machines, availability, and their point accumulation history in real time through a dedicated mobile application.
Currently, Seo District operates 14 automatic recycling collection machines. Last year, the district collected 32.5 tons (about 1.42 million units) of transparent PET bottles and 9.9 tons (about 570,000 units) of cans, returning a total of 19 million won worth of points to residents.
Shim Namsik, head of the Resource Circulation Division, said, "The expansion of automatic collection machines is expected to make a substantial contribution to waste reduction and the realization of a circular resource system," adding, "We will continue to create a sustainable urban environment through various policies to promote resource circulation."
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