Nowon-gu Exchanges Used Paper Cartons for Toilet Paper and Volume-Based Waste Bags

Bring a 1kg paper pack to the Dong Community Center to exchange for 1 roll of toilet paper and a 10L volume-based waste bag... Recycling market also accepts used battery exchange and waste cooking oil collection

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is launching a project where residents can exchange collected paper packs for toilet paper and volume-based waste bags at local community centers.

If you collect 1kg of paper packs and bring them to the community center, you will receive one roll of eco-friendly toilet paper and one 10ℓ volume-based waste bag in exchange. The amount corresponding to 1kg of paper packs is 100 pieces of 200ml packs, 55 pieces of 500ml packs, or 35 pieces of 1000ml packs. Paper packs refer to containers used for packaging milk, soy milk, etc., and do not include paper cups.

The district is implementing this project because the natural pulp, the raw material for paper packs, is entirely imported at 70,000 tons annually, but the recycling rate remains at 30% due to paper packs being mixed with general waste paper such as newspapers and magazines or disposed of as regular household waste during recycling separation.

Proper recycling of discarded paper packs alone can recover an economic value of 10.5 billion KRW annually.

Residents wishing to exchange should empty the contents of the paper packs, rinse them with water, press them flat, and bring them in. It is essential to wash, unfold, and dry the paper packs to prevent decay and enable recycling.

Additionally, at the Recycling Market (in front of the main gate of Hanshin Apartment 3rd Complex, Sanggye 5-dong), not only paper packs but also used batteries and waste cooking oil are accepted free of charge. Used batteries can be exchanged at a rate of 10 used batteries for 1 new battery, and waste cooking oil can be disposed of in the designated collection containers. Operating hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The district has been operating the Recycling Market since 2015 to improve recycling rates and encourage voluntary participation from residents. However, there were inconveniences such as transportation difficulties for residents to reach the Recycling Market and short operating hours. To address this, the program was expanded to community centers starting March 2018.

The Korea Packaging Recycling Business Cooperative has supported the district with 19,000 units of 10ℓ volume-based waste bags to promote paper pack collection and recycling. This amount corresponds to about two years’ worth of exchanges for paper packs.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “The amount of paper packs discarded annually is equivalent to the amount of toilet paper that one-third of Korea’s population could use in a year,” and added, “We hope for active participation from residents in paper pack recycling.”

Resource Circulation Division (☎2116-3810)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.