Check Our Neighborhood's Expired Medicine Collection Boxes via 'Smart Seoul Map'

Last Year, Over 540 Public Facilities Added Pharmaceutical Waste Collection Boxes to Improve Citizen Accessibility
Convenience of Disposal Increased with Expansion of Pharmaceutical Waste Collection Days in Apartment Complexes from 33 to 250 Locations

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 18th that it will provide location information of pharmaceutical waste collection boxes installed at 516 public facilities such as district offices and community centers through the Seoul digital map.

Currently, the locations of pharmaceutical waste collection boxes registered on the ‘Smart Seoul Map’ include ▲18 district offices ▲382 community centers ▲37 health centers (branches and sub-branches) ▲55 welfare centers ▲24 others (sports centers, autonomous community centers, etc.). The city plans to expand the installation of collection boxes and continuously update the location information.

Until now, due to a lack of information on how to dispose of pharmaceutical waste or the locations of collection boxes, many citizens either inquired with local governments or disposed of waste in volume-based waste bags. With this new service, citizens can easily search for and use collection boxes near their residences.

On the first screen of the ‘Smart Seoul Map,’ users can select the ‘Urban Life Map’ icon and then search the ‘Pharmaceutical Waste Collection Box’ theme, or select ‘Environment’ under the ‘User Customized Information’ tab and click the ‘Pharmaceutical Waste Collection Box Location’ theme to check the locations of pharmaceutical waste collection boxes.

By clicking on the icon of each pharmaceutical waste collection box location, users can check the detailed address and contact information of the person in charge. Through the detailed view, they can also receive information about the project and guidance on how to dispose of pharmaceutical waste by type.

Meanwhile, last year, Seoul conducted a pilot operation of the ‘Pharmaceutical Waste Intensive Collection Day,’ where 17 autonomous districts and 33 apartment complexes designated a specific time and place once a month for disposal. Based on the pilot project results, this year the city plans to implement the program in about 250 multi-family housing units (10 locations per district) and expand it to all mandatory management multi-family housing units (150 households or more) by 2026.

Additionally, Seoul City stated that under the Enforcement Rules of the Waste Management Act regulating household hazardous waste, including pharmaceutical waste, household hazardous waste such as waste pesticides, pharmaceutical waste, mercury-containing waste, and naturally radioactive product household waste are included. District mayors are required to establish a household hazardous waste management plan every five years in accordance with the law.

Oh Yong-seon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Living Environment Division, said, “Through the Smart Seoul Map, citizens can more conveniently find and dispose of pharmaceutical waste collection boxes. We ask citizens to separate and dispose of pharmaceutical waste safely, and Seoul will do its best to thoroughly manage all household hazardous waste, including pharmaceutical waste, to protect the environment and public health.”

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