Hyundai Department Store Receives Industry's First Presidential Citation for 'Promotion of Eco-Friendly Technology and Consumption'

At the award ceremony for the '2021 Green Technology Promotion and Consumption Activation Merit' government awards in the Carbon Neutral Lifestyle Practice category held on the 6th, (from left) Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and Hyundai Department Store President Kim Hyung-jong are taking a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] Hyundai Department Store received the Presidential Citation in recognition of its efforts in operating the '365 Recycle Campaign' together with customers.

On the 6th, Hyundai Department Store announced that it became the first in the department store industry to receive the Presidential Citation in the Carbon Neutral Lifestyle Practice category at the '2021 Green Technology Promotion and Consumption Activation Government Awards.' It is the second award in the distribution industry following Hyundai Home Shopping, a group affiliate, in 2019.

The '2021 Green Technology Promotion and Consumption Activation Government Awards' is a system that rewards individuals, companies, and institutions who have contributed to national and social development, such as spreading carbon-neutral lifestyle practices. It has been organized annually since 2008 by the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Climate and Environment Network.

Hyundai Department Store explained that this Presidential Citation was achieved thanks to the '365 Recycle Campaign,' which uniquely collects resalable clothing and accessories donated by customers in the distribution industry. Since 2015, Hyundai Department Store has been running the 'Life Recycle Campaign' twice a year to collect resalable clothing and accessories from customers, and since 2019, it has transitioned to the '365 Recycle Campaign,' allowing year-round donations. It is currently conducted at all 16 Hyundai Department Store branches nationwide, including the Apgujeong Main Store.

The used clothes and accessories donated through the '365 Recycle Campaign' are resold through Beautiful Store, and the proceeds are used for projects such as supporting elementary school classroom forests. Over six years, more than 120,000 customers have participated, donating 600,000 items of clothing and accessories. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced by reusing these items is approximately 2,700 tons, equivalent to planting about 410,000 30-year-old pine trees.

Since last year, Hyundai Department Store has also been operating the 'Plastic Upcycle Campaign,' the first in the distribution industry, which collects unused plastic containers and transparent waste PET bottles from customers and uses them to create eco-friendly flowerpots and other items for donation.

Hyundai Department Store stated, "We are actively introducing eco-friendly packaging materials in the department store industry," citing examples such as discontinuing the use of disposable plastic bags in the Hyundai Food Hall, applying 100% paper-based 'All Paper Package' for holiday fruit gift sets, and introducing the 'Eco-friendly Fruit Carrier,' a fruit basket made from paper fabric. The company plans to more than double the proportion of eco-friendly packaging materials used annually compared to this year.

Kim Hyung-jong, President of Hyundai Department Store, said, "As environmental protection and resource recycling become increasingly important, we have continuously expanded eco-friendly campaigns to raise customer awareness and encourage more participation. We plan to continue various eco-friendly activities and support projects that resonate with and share with the local community."

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