Gyeonggi-do Launches 'Food Storage Container' Distribution Project Using Waste Vinyl

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi-do Province is creating and distributing storage containers that can hold food waste volume-based disposal bags using waste vinyl.

On the 26th, Gyeonggi-do announced that it signed a business agreement with the Ministry of Environment, Korea Environment Corporation, Korea Resource Circulation Distribution Support Center, Korea Packaging Recycling Business Mutual Aid Association, Korea Recycled Plastics Manufacturing Cooperative, and Korea Agro-Fisheries Recycling Business Mutual Aid Association, and plans to conduct a pilot project in five areas including Suwon, Seongnam, Ansan, Anyang, and Uijeongbu by December.

This project aims to solve problems arising from disposing of existing food waste bags as they are and to achieve resource circulation effects through waste vinyl recycling.

In old urban areas densely populated with houses, there are often no containers to hold food waste bags, so they are frequently discarded as is. In such cases, cats or rats may damage the bags, causing foul odors or spoiling the appearance of the surroundings. Recently, waste vinyl has had low utilization due to price drops and the limitation that only some materials are used for recycling.

The storage containers to be piloted by the province are expected to increase utilization by using waste vinyl that was previously unused. Producing one storage container uses 4.5 kg of waste vinyl, equivalent to about 1,500 ramen noodle bags. During the pilot project period, the province plans to produce 4,858 storage containers and distribute them in the five regions.

The storage container has a capacity of about 25 liters, with a top diameter of 39 cm, bottom diameter of 30 cm, height of 43 cm, and a lid. The waste vinyl used for the storage containers will be primarily collected from Gyeonggi-do.

According to the agreement, the Ministry of Environment will be responsible for institutional improvements and technology development, while Gyeonggi-do will provide administrative support necessary for distributing the storage containers. Korea Environment Corporation will provide technical support and information, and the Korea Recycled Plastics Manufacturing Cooperative will handle the production of the storage containers.

The province plans to complete waste vinyl collection and container production by December and distribute the containers in the pilot project areas.

Um Jin-seop, Director of the Gyeonggi-do Environment Bureau, emphasized, "We will monitor the results of the pilot project and consider expanding it throughout the province starting next year. We will continue to promote resource circulation projects that can reduce household waste and improve resource recycling rates, as in this case."

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