"Lotte Homeshopping Creates 'Eco-Friendly Reading Space' at Namsan Library with Upcycled Banners and Clothing"

Lotte Homeshopping's Key Social Contribution Project 'Small Library' Initiative, 'Namsan Haneultteul' Opens on the 20th
Creating a Public Rest Area Using 4.25 Tons of Upcycled Materials Including Discarded Banners and Clothing
Completed to Mark Namsan Library's 100th Anniversary Following May's 'Resource Circulation and ESG Management Practice' Agreement

Lotte Homeshopping created an eco-friendly reading space called 'Namsan Haneul Tteul' in the outdoor area of Namsan Library in Seoul, using upcycled materials, and held an opening ceremony. (From left) Hwang Gyu-hong, Director of the Korea Salvation Army Operations Bureau; Jeong Jae-woong, Head of the Resource Circulation Division at Korea Environment Corporation; Lee Dong-gyu, ESG Director at Lotte Homeshopping; Kim Yang-ju, Director of Namsan Library; Yoon Jae-sam, Head of the Seoul Resource Recovery Facility Promotion Team; and Koo Ja-hee, Director of Lifelong Career Education at Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, attended the opening ceremony and took a commemorative photo. Photo by Lotte Homeshopping.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Lotte Homeshopping announced on the 20th that it has created an eco-friendly reading space called 'Namsan Haneul Ddeul' using upcycled materials in the outdoor area of Namsan Library in Seoul and held an opening ceremony.

At the opening ceremony, Dongkyu Lee, Head of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) at Lotte Homeshopping, Jaesam Yoon, Director of Seoul City Resource Recovery Facility Promotion Team, Jahee Koo, Director of Lifelong Career Education Bureau at Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Jaewoong Jung, Head of Resource Circulation Division at Korea Environment Corporation, Yangju Kim, Director of Namsan Library, and Kyuhong Hwang, Director of Korea Salvation Army Business Bureau, among other officials, attended. The attendees took time to tour the outdoor space of Namsan Library, which was reborn as a reading area using upcycled materials as part of Lotte Homeshopping's 'Small Library' project.

This project was planned as the first pilot project under the 'Business Agreement for Resource Circulation and ESG Management Practice' signed in May by Lotte Homeshopping, Seoul City, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and the Environment Corporation. It aims to explore eco-friendly ways to reuse banners discarded after the June 1 local elections and to realize social value through ESG management by fostering cooperation among the private sector, government, and academia. According to the agreement, Lotte Homeshopping created the eco-friendly reading space 'Namsan Haneul Ddeul' in the outdoor area to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Namsan Library. A total of 2,540 discarded banners and 22,860 pieces of discarded clothing were processed into 4.25 tons of upcycled textile panels to produce sculptures, benches, platforms, chairs, and more. The project took about six months to complete, and going forward, 'Namsan Haneul Ddeul' will be used as an eco-friendly space for citizens to rest and read, aiming to become a landmark of Namsan.

Meanwhile, since 2013, Lotte Homeshopping has been operating the 'Small Library' project in 72 locations nationwide in partnership with the Salvation Army to create eco-friendly learning spaces for children in culturally underserved areas. The '72nd Small Library,' completed in January in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, is the first case where Lotte Homeshopping applied 'eco-friendly upcycling.' Textile waste was reprocessed through upcycling to make furniture such as bookshelves and desks inside the small library. The idea was planned based on a proposal from MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) employees through an internal contest. Lotte Homeshopping plans to expand the use of upcycled materials in various social contribution activities, including small libraries.

Dongkyu Lee, Head of ESG at Lotte Homeshopping, said, "Discarded banners and clothes have been reborn as eco-friendly spaces for citizens as part of Lotte Homeshopping's 'Small Library' project. We will continue to expand eco-friendly activities using upcycled materials and take the lead in realizing social value through ESG management."

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