Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority Collects and Recycles 22 Tons of Marine Plastic

Published 24 Feb.2023 13:58(KST)

The Nation's First 'Resource Circulation Project' Process Established

Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority (President Park Seong-hyun, hereinafter YGPA) announced on the 24th that it has collected and recycled a total of 22 tons of marine plastic over the past two years through the ‘Yeosu·Gwangyang Port Resource Circulation Project.’

The ‘Yeosu·Gwangyang Port Resource Circulation Project’ is a business that collects and recycles plastics discarded from ships entering Yeosu and Gwangyang ports.

The lane restriction blocks installed at the Gwangyang Port site, made from plastics collected through the 'Yeosu·Gwangyang Port Resource Circulation Project'
[Photo by Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority]

Started in 2021 as part of YGPA’s efforts to reduce pollutants generated at the port, this project has now established a collaborative network with 13 related organizations and has become a representative ESG project managing and operating all processes from the collection to the recycling of marine plastics.

Over the past two years, YGPA secured traceability of marine plastic collection by obtaining OBP (Ocean Bound Plastic) collection certification from Control Union, an international eco-certification body, becoming the first in Korea and the sixth in the world to do so, to build a sustainable process.

In addition, YGPA has spared no support by providing cleaning companies with collection supplies such as sacks made from discarded banners and collection incentives.

These two years of efforts by YGPA resulted in the collection of marine plastics equivalent to 245 large bags (22.2 tons, reducing 1,209 thousand carbon footprints within Yeosu·Gwangyang ports).

The collected plastics were also used to produce safety items such as safety vests and lane control blocks for port workers, supporting the port operation sites.

In particular, 640 recycled safety vests made from recycled yarn of plastic PET bottles were produced in collaboration with local social enterprises and provided to frontline workers at port operation sites, including the Gwangyang Port Dockworkers’ Union and workers in the hinterland complex.

A total of 180 lane control blocks made from general plastics were produced and used to install pedestrian paths within the port area to protect the safety of workers, laying the foundation for achieving ‘ZERO’ safety accidents.

President Park Seong-hyun said, “We will continue to strengthen the resource circulation project and become Korea’s leading ESG management institution that spreads a resource circulation culture,” adding, “We will actively communicate not only with port stakeholders but also with the public, and all employees will work on the ground to build a clean platform connecting land and sea.”

He continued, “This year, we will strengthen the operation of the ‘Yeosu·Gwangyang Port Resource Circulation Project’ and actively support government resource circulation policies such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ marine waste recycling activation measures,” adding, “We will strive to spread the resource circulation culture to ports nationwide.”