Yangcheon-gu, Pilot Operation for Separate Collection of PET Bottles and Waste Vinyl

Reduce Mixed Recycling Waste to Reuse as High-Quality Raw Materials and Cut Household Waste... Especially Key to Separate Transparent and Colored PET Bottles for Disposal

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) has been pilot-operating a separate disposal system for waste vinyl and transparent PET bottles apart from other recyclables since February.

As of 2019, the annual amount of recyclable waste generated in Yangcheon-gu totaled 10,702 tons, of which waste vinyl and PET bottles accounted for 62.4% (approximately 6,600 tons).

When waste vinyl and transparent PET bottles are collected in a clean state, they can be recycled into high-quality raw materials such as fibers, cotton, and recycled oil. However, until now, due to contamination caused by mixing with other recyclables (such as colored PET bottles), they have only been recycled into low-quality raw materials, limiting the production of high-quality recycled materials.

Accordingly, the district is implementing the ‘Waste Vinyl and PET Bottle Separate Disposal System’ to increase recycling rates, secure high-quality recycled raw materials, reduce household waste, and achieve economic benefits, aiming for a twofold effect.

The new disposal method is simple. In apartment complexes and other multi-family housing where separate recycling bins already exist, a dedicated collection bin for transparent PET bottles will be provided separately for separate disposal. For single-family homes and commercial establishments, among the three weekly recycling collection days by building, two days are for other recyclables, and the remaining day (Thursday or Friday, see the table below) is for waste vinyl and transparent PET bottles only, which should be placed in transparent bags for disposal.

This pilot operation of the separate disposal system will run from this month until June, with full implementation scheduled for July. After full implementation, a three-month guidance period will be followed by fines imposed under the Waste Management Act.

A Yangcheon-gu official stated, “With the implementation of the total landfill volume control system in the metropolitan area this year, local governments that exceed their allocated total volume for household waste landfill will be charged additional fees at twice the previous rate, highlighting the importance of reducing household waste. We ask residents for active participation in the waste vinyl and transparent PET bottle separate disposal project to prevent wasting recyclable resources.”

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