Jeju Coast Guard Agency Launches 'Fishing Vessel PET Bottle Collection Campaign'

Published 17 Oct.2022 14:46(KST)

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] Jeju Maritime Police Agency announced on the 17th that it has been conducting a campaign to collect PET bottles generated from fishing vessels since signing a business agreement for the ‘Marine Waste Upcycling Project’ with Jeju Development Corporation in March last year.

Following Seogwipo Fisheries Cooperative, fisheries cooperatives in the province (Hallim, Moseulpo, Seongsanpo) also participated in November last year, uniting their efforts to protect the clean Jeju sea.

Since the participation of fishermen is crucial for the successful collection of PET bottles, Jeju Maritime Police produced and distributed dedicated transparent bags for collecting PET bottles free of charge, reflecting the field opinions of fishermen.

They also held several meetings with related organizations and encouraged active participation by installing flyers and banners.

By the third quarter of this year, about 74,000 PET bottles weighing approximately 3.4 tons were collected from fishing vessels participating in the campaign, and appreciation certificates were presented to four related personnel, including the 2066 Pungjinho (45t, Seogwipo) and 808 Manpyeongho (48t, Seogwipo), who took the lead in protecting the marine environment through active participation.

The collected PET bottles undergo reclassification and washing processes at recycling companies and are reborn as eco-friendly products such as clothing and household goods.

A Jeju Maritime Police Agency official said, “The marine waste upcycling project, which started for the first time in Jeju, is being reviewed by the Korea Coast Guard to be expanded nationwide next year,” and added, “We will continue to promote various projects to create a clean Jeju sea free of plastic.”