Transparent PET Bottles Collected for Clothing Rebirth... Gangbuk-gu Signs Resource Circulation Agreement for Transparent PET Bottles

From Separate Collection and Pickup of Transparent PET Bottles to Product Manufacturing and Consumption, Aiming to Establish an Integrated Resource Circular System; Dedicated Work Lines and Spaces Established at Directly Managed Gangbuk Recycling Sorting Facility

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangbuk-gu has taken a strong first step as the first district in Seoul to recycle transparent PET bottles into clothing and other products.

The goal is to establish a one-stop "resource circulation system" that connects everything from the separate collection of transparent PET bottles to product manufacturing and consumption.

Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Gyumsu) announced that on the 18th, it signed a multilateral business agreement at the headquarters of BY Black Yak (hereinafter Black Yak) to this effect.

The event was attended by Black Yak, Doosan E&T, and TK Chemical.

Mayor Park and the representatives of the three companies signed a memorandum of understanding to promote high-quality resource circulation and expand demand for transparent PET bottles.

According to the agreement, each organization will share tasks and cooperate mutually. The district will operate a detailed system from the separate collection of PET bottles to their collection and sorting. Transparent PET bottles brought by residents will be sent to the Gangbuk Recycling Sorting Facility, compressed, and then transported to specialized recycling companies.

Private companies will extract recycled raw materials (flakes) from the PET bottles and process them into high value-added yarns for clothing. These eco-friendly products produced through the recycling process will be sold to consumers.

A district official said, "Currently, 22,000 tons of waste PET bottles are imported annually to secure high-quality recycled raw materials domestically," adding, "This agreement is expected to be the first step to improve this situation."

The district plans to establish a dedicated production line and space for transparent PET bottles by the first half of next year to enhance the operational efficiency of the directly managed sorting facility. In accordance with the characteristics of PET bottles that need to be pierced and compressed, dedicated equipment and specialized collection vehicles will be prepared. Additionally, related systems will be organized to prioritize the purchase of products using recycled raw materials.

Furthermore, starting next year, a customized recycling promotion project will be implemented to collect high-quality transparent PET bottles. A representative project is exchanging 30 PET bottles brought by residents to the community service center for a 10ℓ volume-based waste bag.

Park Gyumsu, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, "This agreement is a public-private collaboration case where the district's policy embodying environmental conservation values aligns with corporate eco-friendly management to create a synergistic effect," adding, "I hope the new wave of resource circulation that started in Gangbuk will spread throughout Seoul."

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