Suncheon-si Changes Paradigm of Waste Management Policy

Seeking Solutions at All Stages of Waste Generation, Emission, Collection/Transport, and Treatment

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] On the 15th, Heo Seok, mayor of Suncheon City, held a press conference to explain the future changes in Suncheon City's waste management policy direction.

Mayor Heo announced that the paradigm will shift from the existing one limited to solving waste disposal to a paradigm that seeks solutions at all stages of generation, discharge, collection and transportation, and processing.

First, to reduce household waste at the generation stage, a comprehensive plan will be established with the goal of reducing household waste by 20% by 2030, and fundamental innovations will be made at the generation and discharge stages.

By 2025, individual food waste meters will be installed 100% in multi-family housing, and distributed up to 50% in single-family houses and commercial establishments.

In addition, through ordinance revisions and system improvements, the resident burden rate for waste disposal will be realistically increased, and various policies such as recycling separation promotion campaigns will also be implemented.

At the waste collection and transportation stage, by applying an open competitive bidding system, the number of participating companies will be expanded and competition among companies will be induced to improve efficiency and service levels in the collection and transportation stage.

To establish a base collection system instead of the existing door-to-door collection method, a recycling assistance center will be installed on a pilot basis in some urban areas, and the clean houses currently implemented in some eup and myeon areas will be expanded from 47 to 150 by 2025 to actively improve vulnerable areas for separate disposal such as urban villas and rural fishing villages.

At the final processing stage, the currently promoted ‘Clean-up Environment Center’ will be installed as a Suncheon City financial project, not a private investment project, and will be operated thoroughly transparently and safely under citizen supervision as the most environmentally safe state-of-the-art facility.

Furthermore, for the area where the Clean-up Environment Center is located, household support funds will be continuously provided during the facility’s operational period, and full incentives will be promised to advance village development by more than 20 years through village environment improvement projects.

Mayor Heo Seok of Suncheon City said, “The waste problem is an issue directly related to our lives that must be solved, and we will do our best to finalize it in the first half of the year by actively collecting citizens’ opinions.” He added, “As a sustainable waste disposal measure, we ask for the active interest and cooperation of Suncheon citizens so that future generations can live in a cleaner and safer environment.”

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