Ban on Bringing Single-Use Items (Plastic, Paper Cups, etc.) into Seongdong District Office

Conversion of All 27 Public Institutions Including District Office Headquarters and Subordinate Agencies to 'Eco Buildings' with a 32% Reduction Target in Greenhouse Gas Emissions... Implementation of 14 Key 'Greenhouse Gas Reduction Practices' in 4 Areas Including Electricity, Fuel, and Resource Savings by All Employees

Starting from March, the use of disposable products will be strictly prohibited inside the Seongdong District Office building.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) will actively respond to serious climate change caused by the rapid increase in greenhouse gases starting in March through the creation of an ‘Eco Government Building.’

Recently, due to the rapid rise in greenhouse gases, the global climate crisis has accelerated with events such as the 54-day long rainy season last summer, wildfires in Australia, and floods caused by the recent collapse of the Himalayan glaciers in India. However, energy consumption has actually increased due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and increased use of disposable products. Therefore, the public sector is taking the lead in creating an energy-saving atmosphere and reducing greenhouse gases.

Accordingly, the district will convert 27 affiliated institutions into ‘Eco Government Buildings’ and make a large-scale effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy saving.

All employees declared their participation in 14 greenhouse gas reduction practice tasks across 4 areas, aiming to reduce greenhouse gases by 32% compared to the 2007 baseline emissions this year and achieve a 50% reduction by 2030.

First, for 20 public buildings including the district office and community centers, on ‘Family Love Day,’ which is implemented to improve working conditions and reduce electricity consumption, all power within the buildings will be turned off after 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Additionally, an automatic power-off system for offices will be operated, with automatic lights off during lunch hours and after 10 p.m. Energy guardians designated by each department will be actively utilized to turn off all but the minimum necessary lighting after 6 p.m. When only a few people work at night, personal desk lamps will be used to further promote ‘electric energy saving.’

Employees will join a mileage program for passenger cars and make public transportation a daily habit. Depending on the COVID-19 situation, a two-shift system for employee vehicles will be operated to actively promote fuel savings.

Bringing disposable products (plastic, paper cups, straws, etc.) into the building is prohibited, and the convenience store will ban the sale of disposable products. The cafe inside the building will recommend banning the use of disposable cups, and reusable cups or tumblers will be used during meetings to lead the establishment of ‘zero disposable product use.’

The district stated that since 286 paper cups emit 1 ton of greenhouse gases, it will proactively strive to establish zero disposable product use in all eco government buildings ahead of the Ministry of Environment’s legislative notice to amend the ‘Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources’ for mandatory implementation of the ‘Disposable Cup Deposit System’ at coffee shops and bakeries starting next year.

On the 5th of last month, Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, also participated in the social network service campaign ‘Go! Go! Challenge’ relay for the plastic-free movement with the practice message ‘Reduce plastic bag use! Collect ice packs!’ to spread the commitment message.

Furthermore, since methane gas produced by livestock and meat accounts for 15% of the impact on global warming, the district will operate a ‘Vegetarian Day once a week at the district cafeteria’ to promote a vegetarian consumption culture, and encourage employees to use vegetarian restaurants in Seoul when dining out.

In addition, resident education programs such as ‘Online Green Leader Training’ and ‘Climate Change Classroom Visiting Elementary and Middle Schools’ will be operated in the second half of this year to improve residents’ awareness and strengthen practice, leading the energy-saving culture.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “We will take the lead from local governments to catch both the Green New Deal and climate change response in line with government policies. In particular, through the successful promotion of the Seongdong-type Eco Government Building, we will do our best to create a carbon-neutral leading city. I believe that when the greenhouse gas reduction effects become visible in 10 to 20 years, it will be a source of pride for our generation who endured the inconvenience.”

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