Separate Disposal of Transparent PET Bottles: 'Outstanding Apartment' Selected and Awarded

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Environment is considering a plan to select outstanding apartment complexes and issue certificates and rewards to promote the separate disposal of transparent PET bottles. The purpose is to encourage more participation by providing incentives rather than penalties, based on the judgment that public support is most important for the establishment of the system.

On the 23rd, a Ministry of Environment official said, "We are promoting a plan to select apartment complexes that excel in separate disposal of transparent PET bottles and issue certificates in the name of the Minister of Environment," adding, "Outstanding complexes will be selected based on recommendations from local governments in each region."

This is in consideration of the growing consensus on the importance of reducing plastic and recycling. The ministry plans to select apartments actively participating in the separate disposal of transparent PET bottles, grant certificates, and have them displayed to publicize the efforts both internally and externally. The scale and criteria for designating outstanding complexes and the scale of rewards will be determined through future discussions.

In addition, the Ministry of Environment plans to expand the deployment of 'Resource Management Helpers,' who support PET bottle disposal and sorting, to single-family residential areas. Last year, 10,553 helpers were selected and deployed to about 15,000 apartment complexes and sorting centers.

Earlier, in December last year, the Ministry of Environment decided to gradually implement separate collection of transparent PET bottles starting from apartment complexes on December 25 through the 'Living Waste De-plasticization Measures.' Transparent PET bottles are the highest value recyclable plastic, but only 10% of PET bottles discarded domestically are recycled into high-quality materials. This is because they are mixed with other plastics during disposal, limiting the production of high-quality recycled products. Consequently, to secure sufficient high-quality recycled raw materials, 22,000 tons of waste PET are imported annually. Therefore, apartment complexes with more than 300 households are required to dispose of transparent PET bottles with labels removed in designated disposal bins.

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