What Is the Smart Way to Manage Ice Pack Reuse in Gangdong-gu?

Seoul Digital Foundation Project Linkage, Ice Pack Reuse Smart Platform Established...Comprehensive Overview of Ice Pack Generation, Collection, and Demand to Enhance Resource Circulation Efficiency

Amsa General Market Ice Pack Reuse

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon), which started the first ice pack reuse collection system nationwide, has established a ‘smart platform’ that allows for a comprehensive understanding and systematic management of ice pack generation, collection volume, and demand by region.

The district signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding among the public sector, private sector, and companies in March last year to introduce an ice pack reuse collection system aimed at environmentally friendly reuse of ice packs that are typically used once and discarded.

Since June this year, Gangdong-gu has been practicing ice pack reuse in collaboration with the Traditional Market Merchants Association and the Environmental Owner Citizens’ Group.

The Environmental Owner Citizens’ Group is responsible for collecting and organizing ice packs, the Traditional Market Merchants Association handles demand confirmation and communication, and the district office supports the overall system including management of collection boxes.

The collected ice packs undergo a sterilization process by a specialized company and are supplied free of charge to places in need.

To enhance the efficiency of the eco-friendly collection system, the district developed a customized application (app) in connection with the ‘Smart Citizen Lab Community Support Project’ led by the Seoul Digital Foundation.

The program consists of menus for ▲collection ▲retrieval ▲sterilization ▲delivery management, and applies responsive web technology, making it accessible on PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Each stakeholder?citizen groups, market merchants’ associations, sterilization companies, and the district office?can input information into their respective menus anytime and anywhere and share the current status.

Previously, communication among citizen groups, the district office, and market merchants’ associations was conducted by phone and work details were manually recorded, making quick information verification difficult. Now, through the app, communication inconveniences are resolved, enabling efficient collection and distribution of ice packs.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, “Gangdong-gu’s ice pack reuse collection system was selected as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s ‘2020 Resident Life Innovation Case’ and received the Innovation Champion plaque, gaining widespread support and spreading nationwide. We will continue to develop policies through the introduction of smart technology and strive to create a sustainable Gangdong-gu where resources circulate in a virtuous cycle.”

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