Seongdong-gu Installs 17 Ice Pack Collection Bins at Dong Community Centers

Dedicated Agency Handles Cleaning and Disinfection, Recycled for Packaging at Majang Livestock Market and Traditional Markets, and for Producing Eco-Friendly Air Conditioners

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] With the rapid spread of delivery culture due to the increase in single-person households, dual-income families, and the COVID-19 pandemic, ice packs used for fresh food delivery have become difficult to dispose of.

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is taking the lead in promoting resource recycling, reducing household waste, and protecting the environment by launching a full-scale "Ice Pack Recycling" project.

Last July, the district installed dedicated ice pack collection boxes at all 17 community centers within the area. This was in response to residents' requests to prevent resource waste and environmental pollution caused by ice packs, and to supply ice packs to small merchants in traditional markets who need them. Ice packs deposited by residents in the dedicated collection boxes undergo a simple sorting process and are then delivered to the traditional market merchant associations, which distribute them to the merchants.

Starting this August, a specialized company will professionally clean and disinfect the collected ice packs to increase the reuse rate. Since unusable ice packs are sometimes delivered directly to the markets, the cleaning and disinfection process will be entrusted to the Seongdong-gu Community Self-Support Center. This thorough cleaning and disinfection will improve the recycling rate of collected ice packs and provide jobs for low-income individuals, achieving a win-win effect.

Ice packs can be disposed of on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and only undamaged, clean gel-type ice packs are accepted. If it is difficult to separate and dispose of ice packs in the dedicated collection boxes, they can be placed whole in a designated volume-based waste bag. For eco-friendly water-type ice packs, the water should be discarded first, and only the plastic should be separated and disposed of.

The collected ice packs are cleaned and disinfected, then supplied in a clean state to Majang Livestock Market and Ttukdo Market, where they are used for fresh food delivery.

Additionally, the ice packs will be provided to the "Good Air Conditioner Production and Sharing" project run by the Seongdong-gu Volunteer Center, where they will be recycled into air conditioners to help elderly residents stay cool during the hot summer.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "The ice pack recycling project will achieve triple benefits: reducing household waste, improving the recycling rate of recyclable resources, and providing customized administrative services that meet the needs of residents and traditional markets." He added, "We will continue to actively discover practical projects that residents can feel in their daily lives to make Seongdong-gu a pleasant urban environment."

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