Yongsan-gu Ichon 1-dong Recycling Ice Pack Screening Clinic Medical Staff Beat the Heat

Collected at community centers... Promotional items like towels and wet wipes provided to submitters... Sorted, washed, and disinfected to be transformed into recycled ice packs... Used as cooling vests for medical staff and workers at temporary screening clinics

On the 13th, a resident of Yongsan-gu (left) visited the Ichon 1-dong Community Service Center and submitted an ice pack to the staff in charge.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu Ichon 1-dong Community Service Center (Director Choi Hyang-sook) is gaining residents' support by carrying out an ice pack recycling project.

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of non-face-to-face consumption culture, the usage of ice packs has surged, leading to an increase in discarded ice packs. After much consideration, the center decided to promote an ice pack recycling project.

Ice packs filled with absorbent materials are made of microplastics (superabsorbent polymers) that are difficult to recycle and cause environmental pollution when disposed of as household waste.

Since April, the community center has started collecting ice packs at the comprehensive civil service office on the second floor, allowing anyone to easily submit ice packs by visiting the center.

Submitters are guided on how to separate different types of ice packs and are provided with promotional items such as eco mileage towels and wet wipes.

The collected ice packs undergo sorting to separate those that can be reused. Using Em fermentation liquid distributed free of charge by the district office, the ice packs are cleaned and disinfected to be transformed into recycled ice packs.

These recycled ice packs are then sent to temporary screening clinics in Hannam-dong and Yongsan Station. They are used in ice vests worn by medical staff and workers striving to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the heatwave, and will also be used to keep collected samples cold in emergencies such as power outages at the temporary screening clinics.

Additionally, some ice packs are provided along with ice vests to alley cleanliness keepers working outdoors to help alleviate the heat somewhat.

The community center plans to operate experience programs making air fresheners using recycled ice packs and to continuously expand the project by discovering demand sources such as food processing businesses and restaurants.

Choi Hyang-sook, director of Ichon 1-dong, said, “With the surge in deliveries and parcel services due to COVID-19, the use of ice packs is steadily increasing. We will encourage residents' voluntary participation and lead efforts to raise awareness of resource circulation and environmental protection through agreements with private companies.”

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