An Elderly Cardboard Collector in Dongdaemun-gu Sighs... Compensation for the Price Difference in Cardboard Sales

Support for Elderly Waste Paper Collectors Facing Difficulties Due to Falling Waste Paper Prices... 72 Million KRW from Disaster Management Fund... Targeting 160 People · Daily Limit of 100kg

Cooling vests delivered to elderly people collecting recyclables

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) will compensate the price difference of waste paper for elderly waste paper collectors who are experiencing economic difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the decline in waste paper prices.

Recently, as the Chinese government strengthened environmental regulations and banned the import of mixed waste paper, the price per kg of waste paper and the selling price of recyclables have plummeted. Additionally, due to COVID-19, the amount of scrap generated from stores has decreased, leading to a decline in the income of the elderly collectors.

Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol of Dongdaemun-gu, in the third year of the 7th local government term, met with elderly waste paper collectors, listened to their difficult situations, and immediately proposed a plan to maintain the waste paper price at a certain level.

Accordingly, the district will invest 72 million KRW from the disaster management fund from July to December to support 160 elderly waste paper collectors.

The support targets are low-income seniors aged 65 or older who reside in Dongdaemun-gu with an income recognition amount below 150% of the standard and collect waste paper using handcarts.

The support method compensates the price difference when the market price falls below the standard price (80 KRW/kg), with a maximum daily limit of 100 kg per person.

The support procedure requires elderly waste paper collectors to obtain proof of waste paper sales (date, price, weight, sales income, etc.) from scrap dealers and submit it to the local community service center. The district then pays the support fund monthly based on the price difference.

A district official stated, “This support not only helps alleviate the economic difficulties of the elderly but also allows us to regularly check on their well-being, creating a twofold effect.”

For more details, contact the Cleaning Administration Division of Dongdaemun-gu Office.

Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol of Dongdaemun-gu said, “We decided to compensate the price difference of waste paper to help elderly collectors struggling due to COVID-19 and the decline in waste paper prices. We hope this support will provide some relief to the economic difficulties of elderly waste paper collectors and promote the collection of recyclables.”

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