The Business Community Practices Eco-Friendly Activities Through 'Zero Waste Day'

On UN Commemoration Day 'Blue Sky Day (September 7)'
Practicing Eco-Friendly Management Without Waste Disposal

Seoul Jung-gu Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] On the 7th, in celebration of Blue Sky Day, the Entrepreneurship Roundtable (ERT) announced on the 1st that it will practice 'Zero Waste Day' as a joint challenge in the economic sector. In addition to 78 companies affiliated with ERT, member companies of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry have also voluntarily decided to participate in the challenge.

Launched on May 24, ERT decided through a corporate declaration to jointly practice five major action pledges for growth together with stakeholders as a joint challenge. The first two selected tasks were ‘Revitalize Local Communities, Protect the Environment’ and ‘Zero Waste Day’.

'Blue Sky Day' is a day to reflect on the importance of air quality, proposed by South Korea and designated as an official commemorative day by the United Nations (UN) in 2019. Along with commemorative events by the Ministry of Environment and others, this year marks the first time the economic sector has also joined in the practice.

ERT member companies will set and participate in Zero Waste Day activities either on Blue Sky Day, the 7th of this month, or during the third quarter of this year. The methods to practice Zero Waste Day include any activities that reduce waste in daily life. To facilitate participation, ERT suggested four practical guidelines: ▲Zero disposable products ▲Zero trash bins ▲Zero leftover food ▲Zero spam mailboxes.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which operates ERT, decided to provide prizes so that not only ERT participating companies but also the general public can join. Those who practice and certify Zero Waste Day will be entered into a draw to receive prizes. Winners will be announced on the ERT website on October 6 and notified individually.

An official from the ERT Secretariat said, "Considering that ERT is in its initial stage, we first selected items that can be easily practiced in daily life," adding, "We hope this will be an opportunity to raise eco-friendly awareness not only among ERT participating companies but also the general public through widespread participation."

In addition to ERT member companies, various organizations have also decided to participate in this challenge. The Korea Franchise Association and the Korea Foodservice Industry Association will jointly promote campaigns to reduce daily waste, such as using tumblers and reducing leftover food. The Korea Software Industry Association also plans to encourage participation by informing its executives and member companies at the association level.

Moreover, 73 chambers of commerce nationwide, including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will join the joint challenge activities to spread corporate eco-friendly management intentions nationwide. Following the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s declaration ceremony, nine chambers in the Gyeongnam region (7/7) and the Daejeon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (8/25) have held declaration ceremonies for local companies to express their commitment to change, and this will continue in a relay format.

Meanwhile, ERT member companies and participating organizations are planning various individual events and employee participation encouragement activities for Zero Waste Day, resulting in diverse challenges. Hyundai Motor Company will carry out the challenge activities twice. On July 20, as part of Zero Waste activities, employees participated in plogging along the Gunsan coast with local youth, and on September 7, they will promote activities centered on the four practical guidelines from the ERT Secretariat.

Woo Tae-hee, Executive Vice President of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "This joint challenge is significant because it involves the entire economic sector rather than individual companies or organizations," adding, "Especially as the government, various associations, nationwide chambers of commerce, and the public participate together, we hope it will be an opportunity to widely publicize corporate intentions such as eco-friendly management and enhance public perception of companies."

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