6-Year-Old Ginseng Support Stakes Made from 'Local Waste Vinyl' Instead of Imported Wood

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Ministry of Environment signed an agreement with related organizations such as the Rural Development Administration on the 24th at the Chungbuk Ginseng Agricultural Cooperative to promote the replacement and activation of recycled products for ginseng support stakes.

Until now, most ginseng support stakes have been made from imported wood from Southeast Asia and other regions. The annual wood import volume is about 160,000 tons, with an import value reaching 70 billion KRW.

There is a concern that wood may carry pests and diseases during the import process, and considering the ginseng production cycle, the stakes need to have durability of over six years. However, due to weak durability, replacements often occur before that period.

With this agreement, it is expected not only to recycle the accumulating waste vinyl but also to reduce the use of imported wood and save foreign currency.

The recycled replacement products for ginseng support stakes are designed to have a lifespan of over six years. It is anticipated that this will reduce maintenance costs during the six-year ginseng cultivation process and help increase farmers' income.

The project targets approximately 300 pyeong of ginseng cultivation area in Eumseong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. Chungbuk was prioritized as it accounts for the largest ginseng cultivation area and number of farms among the 11 ginseng agricultural cooperatives nationwide.

The Ministry of Environment plans to conduct a demand survey targeting the Chungbuk and Chungnam regions and aims to recycle 15,000 tons of waste vinyl by next year. The plan is to gradually expand to ginseng farms nationwide and recycle 100,000 tons of waste vinyl by 2024.

This project is part of the 'local circulation-type recycled product application project,' which promotes recycling waste generated in the region for use within the same region.

The recycled ginseng support stakes made from waste vinyl were developed as part of a municipal waste recycling research and development (R&D) project conducted by the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute. The Ministry of Environment will continue to support R&D for producing high-quality recycled products to expand material recycling.

Lee Young-gi, Director of the Resource Circulation Policy Division at the Ministry of Environment, said, "We will continuously discover demand sources so that waste generated locally can be recycled and used within the region, and cooperate with related organizations to move toward a sustainable resource circulation society."

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