Installation of Dedicated Cigarette Butt Collection Bins in Yongsan-gu Itaewon and Other Areas

Yongsan-gu Installs Dedicated Cigarette Butt Collection Bins

11 Units Installed on the 3rd at Namyeong-dong Food Alley, Itaewon Global Food Street, and Other Locations

20 More Units Planned for Habitual Cigarette Butt Dumping Areas

Aiming to Reduce Illegal Cigarette Butt Disposal and Prevent Sewer Backflow During the Rainy Season

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Park Hee-young) installed 11 dedicated cigarette butt collection bins on the 3rd in high foot traffic areas such as Namyeong-dong Food Alley and Itaewon Global Food Street.

An additional 20 bins are planned to be installed in areas including Yongmun Market and Itaewon. In May, 300 portable cigarette butt cases were purchased and distributed to smokers in areas known for habitual cigarette butt dumping.

This initiative aims to reduce the indiscriminate disposal of cigarette butts on the streets and to prevent sewer backflow caused by clogged drains during the rainy season.

The cigarette butt collection bins, installed with the cooperation of KT&G, are specially designed with small input openings that prevent general trash from being deposited, allowing only cigarette butts to be collected.

Going forward, the installation locations will be expanded after comprehensively reviewing feedback from nearby residents and businesses, as well as issues related to illegal general waste dumping.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, stated, “If carelessly discarded cigarette butts enter the sewers, backflow problems may occur during the rainy season. Active cooperation from residents is necessary to eradicate illegal cigarette butt dumping.”

The district has been implementing a “Cigarette Butt Collection Reward Program” since this year to create a “Yongsan without Cigarette Butts.” Residents who pre-register and bring cigarette butts found on the streets receive compensation based on the weight of the collected butts.

Ahead of the rainy season, during the May and June “Clean Day” large-scale cleaning events, soil, cigarette butts, and trash that had entered storm drains were removed. Starting this month, 12 members of the “Storm Drain Special Patrol Team” have been permanently assigned to vulnerable areas to focus on managing 2,014 storm drains.

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