Ministry of Environment Provides Free Disposable Cup Collectors in Sejong and Jeju

Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, visited the reusable cup washing facility 'Haengbok Connect' located in Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, last September to observe the cup collection process as well as the washing, drying, and sterilization procedures. (Photo by Ministry of Environment)

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The Ministry of Environment will provide simple collection machines free of charge ahead of the implementation of the disposable cup deposit system on the 2nd of next month.

The Ministry of Environment and the Resource Circulation Deposit Management Center announced on the 21st that they will support the installation of simple collection machines inside stores implementing the disposable cup deposit system in Sejong Special Self-Governing City and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The disposable cup deposit system requires consumers to pay a resource circulation deposit of 300 won when purchasing beverages in disposable cups, and receive the deposit back upon returning the used cup.

Currently, demand for unmanned simple collection machines is being surveyed at 626 stores in the Sejong and Jeju areas, and the machines will be installed free of charge at stores that wish to have them.

Return locations outside of stores will also be expanded to facilitate disposable cup collection. In Sejong City, more than 30 return points will be installed at locations such as the Government Complex Sejong, Sejong City Hall, each neighborhood community center, and public parking lots. In Jeju, which attracts many tourists, about 40 return points will be set up along tourist routes including the airport, passenger terminals, and rental car parking lots.

In particular, additional simple collection machines will be installed around small takeout-specialized stores where space is limited and cup returns are difficult, utilizing Clean Houses (Jeju’s unique unmanned collection locations at alley units) and locations adjacent to bus stops.

The center will conduct a pilot project to test the field applicability of one type of unmanned collection machine, whose mechanical performance has been confirmed, in a performance evaluation that did not fully cover on-site application. The Ministry of Environment stated, "We expect the cup deposit system to reduce the use of disposable cups and to separately collect and recycle disposable cups that are inevitably used."

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