Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, Agreement on Circular Economy for Waste Plastic Resources

Establishment of All Stages in Marine Plastic Waste Resource Circulation Project
Management from Marine Dumping Crackdown to Collection and Recycling Raw Material Production

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority (President Cha Min-sik, hereinafter referred to as the Authority) announced on the 4th that it recently signed a business agreement with six Yeosu Gwangyang Bay area bilge cleaning companies to establish a circular economy for waste plastic discharged from ships entering Yeosu and Gwangyang ports.

Bilge cleaning companies refer to businesses equipped with the necessary facilities to collect pollutants, clean ship fuel tanks, and collect waste oil.

As part of the 'Gwangyang Port Marine Waste Plastic Resource Circulation Project,' under this agreement, the Authority and the bilge cleaning companies will gradually establish a system for collecting and sorting waste plastic discharged from ships entering Yeosu and Gwangyang ports and continue cooperating to produce recycled products using the collected waste plastic.

In particular, to achieve the common goals of marine environmental protection and establishing a sustainable resource circulation system, the Authority will handle international certification and the establishment of a circulation system for collected waste plastic, while the bilge cleaning companies will be responsible for distributing dedicated ton bags for collecting waste plastic from incoming ships and collecting PET bottles discharged from ships.

Prior to this, the Authority collected waste plastic discharged from incoming ships last year and produced 200 recycled bags in collaboration with local social enterprises.

This year, the Authority is expanding the circulation network by cracking down on marine dumping of waste plastic from ships together with Yeosu Coast Guard and promoting OBP (Ocean Bound Plastic) international certification and the production of 'Regen Ocean,' a recycled fiber made from marine waste plastic from Gwangyang Port, through a business agreement with Hyosung TNC.

The Authority stated that this agreement is significant as it has established all stages from the start to the completion of the circulation network, providing an opportunity to solve the fundamental problem of marine environmental pollution.

President Cha Min-sik said, "I am pleased to continue the collaborative relationship with bilge cleaning companies that will play a pivotal role in the marine waste plastic resource circulation project," adding, "We will share and spread the project and work together for a sustainable circular economy." (End)

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