[Consumer Climate Action Column] Living Together in Harmony

Choi Sumin Microplastic Awareness Youth Group 'Ocean Saver'

On December 10, 2020, the Government of the Republic of Korea declared the ‘2050 Carbon Neutrality Vision.’

‘Carbon neutrality’ refers to reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by the use of fossil fuels and other sources, and offsetting or removing the inevitably emitted greenhouse gases through forests, wetlands, and other means so that the net emissions become ‘0.’

Accordingly, changes are occurring in various fields, with a representative example being the transition to a ‘plastic-free’ society.

The Honam Reporting Headquarters of Asia Economy is serializing the ‘Consumer Climate Action Column’ to empathize with and participate in the plastic-free movement.

Are the climate crisis and plastic use separate issues? Not at all.

Plastic production leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Discarded plastics become microplastics that spread into the ocean, destroying marine ecosystems, or generate harmful gases during incineration, causing plastic pollution.

Since COVID-19, plastic usage has surged. According to statistics from the Ministry of Environment, as of 2019, the daily plastic waste generation in domestic household waste was 11,000 tons.

With the continuous increase in plastic usage, the climate crisis has surpassed a critical level.

To reduce plastic generation and lead by example starting with public institutions, the Ministry of Environment implemented the ‘Guidelines for Reducing the Use of Disposable Products in Public Institutions’ in July 2021. Public institutions are required to make efforts not to purchase or use disposable products, PET bottled water, or beverages during meetings and events held in their buildings, and employees working in public institutions must strive to refrain from using disposable products.

The youth activity group ‘Ocean Saver,’ which raises awareness about microplastics, conducted monitoring to check whether the Ministry of Environment’s guidelines were being properly followed.

On May 3, 2022, from 12 PM to 1 PM, they directly counted the number of people entering the Government Sejong Complex near the restaurant area who were carrying disposable cups.

The monitoring results showed that 336 people carried disposable cups, while only one person carried a reusable cup.

It was shocking. Seeing public institutions, which are supposed to lead by example, naturally using disposable products made us question whether environmental policy activities that require citizens’ interest and participation would gain momentum.

To examine the environmental practice status of public institutions from various angles, on May 23, we visited the Consumer Climate Action Association and Chungbuk Provincial Office. We discussed the disposable product usage status of related departments and the office building, and conducted a second monitoring in front of the building to observe disposable plastic usage.

Seeing public officials carrying tumblers and practicing the reduction of disposable plastic cup use was encouraging, but unfortunately, disposable plastic cup users could be seen everywhere.

The monitoring of disposable product usage in public institutions helped identify the current status of environmental activities in our society and find practical tasks.

The first task is ‘acting together.’ Efforts by public institutions to lead by example in reducing disposable products serve as a driving force to increase citizens’ willingness to practice environmental protection. Individuals, families, and friends will begin to view environmental activities with new eyes.

There was an opinion that a strict standard was being applied only to public officials. Ocean Saver’s activities do not merely point out the disposable product usage status of public institutions. They aim for genuine change in public institutions and seek to create a social atmosphere where the entire society ‘acts together’ to reduce plastics.

Wasn’t the intention of the disposable product reduction guidelines to show practices for carbon neutrality that empower citizens to feel motivated and think, ‘I should participate too’?

We hope that public institutions will provide motivating influence, and citizens will spread that influence, harmoniously realizing carbon neutrality.

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