Sejong-si Promotes Reuse Project Using 'Ice Pack' Resources

[Asia Economy (Sejong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Sejong City is promoting a project to reuse ice packs as a resource.

The city announced on the 6th that starting from the 15th of this month, it will designate separate collection points for ice packs in multi-family and single-family housing, collect them, and after a cleaning process, supply the ice packs free of charge to places in need.

The filling material of ice packs is a type of superabsorbent polymer plastic that does not naturally decompose and is difficult to incinerate or landfill, making it a major cause of environmental pollution. To prevent this, it is necessary to suppress the amount generated and reduce usage.

Accordingly, the city plans to increase utilization by adopting a reuse method through separate collection and gathering of ice packs.

Gel-type ice packs wrapped in vinyl will be collected through 20 nearby administrative welfare centers or 180 separate collection points set up near multi-family and single-family housing, then cleaned and disinfected before being delivered free of charge to food companies, traditional markets, and others.

The city will finalize the ice pack collection locations by receiving applications from apartment management offices and key collection points, and plans to post the list on the city’s website on the 10th.

Lee Doo-hee, Director of the Environmental Greenery Bureau of the city, said, “By reusing gel-type ice packs, which are the cause of waste synthetic resin and microplastics, we will contribute to resource recycling and environmental conservation, and ensure that Sejong participates in the global movement to reduce plastic usage.”

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