Gangseo-gu, Full Expansion of Recycling Separation Stations

Saeromi Recycling Station Separate Disposal Scene

Gangseo-gu, Seoul Establishes Advanced Recycling Separation Culture

Strong Response from Residents During Last Year’s Pilot Project, a Campaign Promise by District Mayor Kim Tae-woo

Expanded to 80 Locations in the Area, Providing Volume-Based Waste Bags to Participating Residents to Encourage Recycling

"I learned how to dispose of recyclables properly and received volume-based waste bags. The neighborhood is cleaner, and I get benefits, so it’s truly a win-win situation."

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Tae-woo) is expanding and operating the ‘Saeromi Apartment-Style Recycling Separation Stations’ (hereafter ‘Saeromi Recycling Stations’), which were piloted last year to establish an advanced recycling separation culture, to 80 locations this year.

The Saeromi Recycling Station project installs recycling bins twice a week in residential areas, where resource managers assist residents in separating recyclables such as glass bottles, cans and scrap metal, clear PET bottles, and plastics.

As a campaign promise by Mayor Kim Tae-woo, this project educates residents on proper recycling separation methods, effectively increasing the sorting rate of recyclables.

Before the full-scale expansion of Saeromi Recycling Stations, the district piloted the project last year in the residential area of Hwagok 1-dong, receiving enthusiastic responses from residents and achieving a peak collection of 320 kg in the final week.

Notably, in November last year, Mayor Kim personally visited the Saeromi Recycling Station in Hwagok 1-dong, separated recyclables himself, encouraged resident participation, and led the pilot project to success.

The Saeromi Recycling Stations will operate for seven months from next month through October, with 80 stations across 17 neighborhoods in the district. A total of 176 resource managers will be deployed in pairs.

Operating hours are twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday or Monday and Wednesday) from 6 PM to 9 PM, and operations will be suspended during heavy rain or other weather anomalies. Locations can be checked on the Gangseo-gu Office website under Gangseo News - Notices & News.

To encourage voluntary participation, the district provides one 10-liter general volume-based waste bag per household per visit to those participating in the Saeromi Recycling Station project.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo of Gangseo-gu said, “As environmental issues such as the saturation of the metropolitan landfill intensify, residents’ proper recycling separation leads to higher sorting rates and a cleaner living environment. We will continue to develop and implement proactive recycling policies to create a safe and environmentally friendly city.”

On the 20th, the district held a recycling separation education session for resource managers at the Ujang Hall of the Gangseo-gu Citizens’ Hall, providing guidance on the Saeromi Recycling Station project, recycling separation methods, and Gangseo-gu’s recycling policies.

Gwangjin-gu Expands Coffee Grounds Recycling Project to Promote Sustainable Resource Circulation

Collected a Total of 59.9 Tons of Coffee Grounds Last Year, Recycled into Reclaimed Wood, Feed, and More

Currently Recruiting 300 Participating Cafes, Aiming to Collect 162 Tons of Coffee Grounds and Reduce Carbon Emissions by 54.7 Tons This Year

Gwangjin-gu (District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) is continuing its coffee grounds recycling project to create a city where resources circulate sustainably.

Coffee grounds recycling involves collecting coffee grounds, which are classified as household waste, instead of landfilling or incinerating them, and recycling them into reclaimed wood, animal feed, and other materials.

Only 0.2% of coffee beans are used when brewing coffee, with the remaining 99.8% discarded. As coffee consumption increases, the amount of coffee grounds discarded as household waste reached 149,038 tons in 2019.

From July to December last year, the district piloted the coffee grounds recycling project. A total of 206 coffee shops participated, collecting 59.9 tons of coffee grounds. Incinerating one ton of coffee grounds emits 338 kg of carbon, so approximately 20.2 tons of carbon emissions were reduced last year.

This year, the coffee grounds recycling project will be fully launched. With 300 coffee shops participating, the goal is to collect about 162 tons of coffee grounds, expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 54.7 tons.

The district is continuously recruiting coffee shops to participate. Interested shops can apply by submitting an application form via email to the project manager. Once participating shops accumulate coffee grounds, the collection company visits on designated days to collect the separated coffee grounds.

The collected coffee grounds are recycled into cattle feed, reclaimed wood, and other resources.

To allow residents to experience the benefits of resource circulation firsthand, the district plans to install park benches made from coffee grounds composite wood (Coffee Deck), donated by the project partner ‘Social Cooperative Resources and Circulation,’ at popular public locations.

Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said, “The coffee grounds recycling project significantly contributes to reducing greenhouse gases and protecting the environment. We ask for continued interest and participation to promote sustainable resource circulation.”

In addition to the coffee grounds recycling project, Gwangjin-gu operates various initiatives with residents to practice resource circulation in daily life, including ice pack recycling, transparent PET bottles, paper pack and battery exchange programs, and on-site recycling education.

Eunpyeong-gu Selects Key Active Administration Tasks for 2023

Ten Resident-Centered Projects Chosen as Key Active Administration Tasks

District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung: “We Will Implement Key Active Administration Tasks to Make Eunpyeong-gu an Even Better Place to Live”

Eunpyeong-gu (District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) has selected and is promoting ‘Key Active Administration Tasks’ to deliver administration that residents can truly feel.

The district annually selects projects that improve resident convenience and resolve inconveniences as ‘Key Active Administration Tasks.’ This year, ten projects with creativity, expertise, and a strong commitment to public interest have been chosen.

This year’s key tasks include: ▲‘Apartments Embracing Community Service Centers’ (one-stop move-in registration at support centers) ▲Formation and operation of a timely completion approval T/F team ▲Policy proposal phone line #Tonghaera Eunpyeong ▲Establishment and operation of Eunpyeong Self-Support Center ▲Outsourced management of district-run daycare centers (providing a clean and safe childcare environment) ▲Eunpyeong-style youth monthly rent support project ▲Visiting apartment resident communication meetings ▲Measures to secure resident safety by eliminating safety blind spots in residential areas ▲Notification service for shuttle bus stops at Eunpyeong Citizens’ Sports Center ▲Change in resident-priority parking allocation method, among others.

These projects were selected as key tasks because they recognize social issues within the community and prioritize improving residents’ lives by revising ordinances and related regulations, introducing new approaches to existing policies, and actively addressing problems.

At the end of this year, the district plans to evaluate the effectiveness of active administration projects by selecting best practices based on resident feedback and perceived impact.

Previously, Eunpyeong-gu has consistently promoted resident-centered projects to enhance convenience and quality of life, receiving excellent evaluations from central government ministries and Seoul city, and sharing best practices nationwide.

Representative examples include the nation’s first exclusive taxi service for pregnant women and infants, ‘I-Mom Taxi,’ Seoul’s first rapid tax administration service ‘Regional Tax Administration ONE-STOP Desk,’ resident-led resource circulation project ‘Eunpyeong Green MoaMoa,’ and ‘Alleyway Utility Pole Maintenance’ to resolve resident inconveniences and ensure safety.

Mayor Kim Mi-kyung of Eunpyeong-gu said, “We will provide active support and do our utmost to smoothly implement the key active administration tasks and make Eunpyeong-gu an even better place to live.”

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