SKT Reduces 10 Million Single-Use Cups Through Reusable Cup Circulation Campaign

SK Telecom announced on the 20th that its ICT solution-based reusable cup circulation campaign, ‘Happy Habit,’ has saved 10 million disposable cups and reduced carbon emissions by 293 tons within two years of implementation.

The ‘Happy Habit’ campaign, operated by the ‘ha:bit eco alliance,’ has grown into a public-private partnership project involving 90 organizations and companies, including SKT and Happy Connect, since its launch in 2020. Companies such as Starbucks, LG Display’s Paju factory, Daishin Securities headquarters, SKT Tower, Paris Baguette, Il Maggio, and Pascucci have joined the initiative.

Public institutions and local governments, including cafes near Incheon City Hall and its affiliated organizations, the in-house cafe at Seoul City Hall, Jeju National University, and Gwacheon Science Museum, are also making efforts to reduce disposable cup usage.

So far, the disposable cups saved through the ‘Happy Habit’ campaign, when stacked in a row, measure 1,400 km?200 km longer than the distance from Seoul to Tokyo (1,200 km). The carbon emission reduction from saving 10 million disposable cups amounts to 293 tons, equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by 124,000 pine trees in one year.

By region, the ‘Happy Habit’ campaign has saved 6.48 million disposable cups in Jeju, where the campaign first started, 2.28 million in Seoul, and 670,000 in Sejong. The use of reusable cups is steadily increasing in the recently participating Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions as well.

Additionally, public institutions and public enterprises such as the Korea Post Headquarters, Korea Post Public Interest Foundation, Korea Southern Power, Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC), and Korea Environment Corporation are actively participating in expanding the project by recruiting cafes participating in ‘Happy Habit’ and supporting funding for infrastructure such as return stations in Sejong, Busan, and Jeju.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Government Complex Management Headquarters and the Ministry of Environment announced earlier this month the ‘Government Complex Disposable Cup Zero 2027 Vision,’ which mandates the introduction of reusable cup circulation systems in coffee shops inside 13 government complexes nationwide by 2027.

SK Telecom plans to continue expanding collaboration with the government and local governments while broadening the application targets to in-house cafes, university campuses, sports stadiums, theaters, and more.

Lee Junho, head of ESG promotion at SK Telecom, said, “With the government’s active policies and the participation of many companies and institutions, the reusable cup circulation ecosystem is rapidly taking root. We plan to continue efforts to expand infrastructure and advance related ICT solutions to promote the spread of reusable cups.”

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