Incheon City Hall Operates 'Eco-friendly 3 No's'... Prohibition of Bringing and Using Disposable Products

Installation of Waste Reduction Devices in Cafeteria and Removal of Office Trash Bins
Daily Average Waste 325kg → Target Reduction to 225kg by 2025

Incheon City 'Eco-friendly Resource Circulation Office' Plaque Ceremony
Photo by Incheon City

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City, which declared itself an 'Environmental Special City,' has begun full-scale operation of an eco-friendly resource circulation government office.

On the 1st, the city held a plaque ceremony for the eco-friendly resource circulation government office and started operating a '3-No (無) Eco-Friendly Government Office' with no disposable products, no resource waste, and no food waste.

Accordingly, the use and bringing in of disposable products within the government office have been completely banned. Delivery food containing disposable products is prohibited from the entrance, and takeout coffee ordered from external cafes outside City Hall is not allowed inside the building if served in disposable cups.

At the coffee shop on the first floor of City Hall, reusable cups are provided instead of disposable coffee cups, and employees are encouraged to drink beverages in personal tumblers carried in eco-bags distributed by the city.

Delivery food, mainly ordered by public officials working overtime, will only be allowed if brought in reusable containers, and to replace plastic spoons and wooden chopsticks, personal utensil storage cases will soon be provided to employees.

A 'Reusable Cup Sharing System' has also been established for meetings and consultations with civil petitioners. This system is managed directly by a tableware rental company contracted with Incheon City, handling the delivery, use, collection, washing, and sterilization of reusable cups used at City Hall.

To reduce food waste generated in the government office cafeteria and other areas, waste reduction devices have been installed, office trash bins removed, and shared recycling bins placed on each floor.

The city has set a goal to reduce the average daily waste at City Hall from the current 325kg to 225kg by 2025, a reduction of about 30% within five years, through high-intensity waste reduction policies.

Starting next month, all public institution government offices, including the City Council, the City Office of Education, directly affiliated agencies under the city, Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, business offices, public corporations, foundations, and military and district offices, will be operated as eco-friendly resource circulation government offices.

Incheon Mayor Park Nam-chun is observing a demonstration of the food waste self-treatment facility (reducer) on the 1st.
[Photo by Incheon City]

Incheon City is implementing these waste reduction policies to lead eco-friendly resource circulation policies, including the planned closure of the landfill site in 2025. The metropolitan landfill site in Seo-gu, Incheon, which jointly disposes of waste from Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi, has been in operation for nearly 30 years since its opening in 1992.

Incheon City is promoting various policies such as waste reduction, increasing recycling rates, and eco-friendly waste landfill with the goal of ending the use of the metropolitan landfill site by 2025.

Mayor Park Namchun emphasized, "When Incheon City first establishes environmental justice based on the 'principle of treatment at the source of generation,' it can advance as an environmental special city leading eco-friendly resource circulation," adding, "Operating an eco-friendly resource circulation government office is a practical action for our public officials to take the lead in reducing waste."

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