Yangcheon-gu Establishes 'Sseutech (Trash + Investment)' for Recyclables

16 Smart (IoT) Paper Pack Collectors and 6 Resource Recovery Robots Added, Smart Recycling System Established...Earn 5-10 Points per Recyclable Item, Redeemable for Cash or Products, 'Sseutech' Effect Evident

Yangcheon-gu has established a 'Smart Waste Separation System.'

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gijae) announced that to create a resource-circulating city, it has installed an additional 16 ‘Smart Paper Pack Collectors’ equipped with Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence technologies, and 6 ‘Resource Recovery Robots’ that collect cans and PET bottles, building a total of 53 collection devices to operate the ‘Smart Waste Separation System’ in full from this month.

First, to increase the collection rate of paper packs, which can be recycled as high value-added products, the district installed 16 additional smart paper pack collectors mainly in neighborhoods where none were previously installed, operating a total of 23 devices across all neighborhoods.

When disposing of paper packs, users scan the QR code on the collector using the ‘Today’s Waste Separation’ app and then insert the paper pack, earning 10 points per item. Accumulated points can be used to purchase products such as milk, bottled water, and pizza through the ‘Today’s Waste Separation’ app or donated to low-income vulnerable groups.

Additionally, using the residents’ participatory budget, the district installed 6 more resource recovery robots capable of separating cans and PET bottles in Mok 2 and 4-dong, Sinwol 1 (two locations) and Sinwol 7-dong, and Sinjeong 3-dong, operating a total of 30 robots to create an environment where waste separation is convenient anywhere in the area.

To use the robots, install the ‘Superbin’ or ‘Return Ssasem’ app, register as a member, and enter your contact information on the robot’s touchscreen when depositing items. The resource recovery robots use AI technology to collect and sort cans and transparent PET bottles, automatically returning any other materials. Users earn 5 to 10 points per can or PET bottle, and once 2,000 to 3,000 points are accumulated, they can be converted into cash, promoting recycling activation and providing a so-called ‘Sseutech (waste + investment)’ effect.

Meanwhile, since operating the smart paper pack collectors in 2019, the cumulative number of users reached 14,199, collecting a total of 14,9378 paper packs weighing approximately 8,533 kg. The resource recovery robots have been installed since 2021, collecting a total of 2,709,447 cans and PET bottles weighing about 67,628 kg from 33,796 users to date.

Lee Gijae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “We have expanded the installation of collection devices to conveniently separate and dispose of paper packs, PET bottles, and cans that can be reborn as high value-added resources, establishing a smart waste separation system. As these collection devices not only activate resource circulation but also offer a thrifty investment function, we ask all residents to actively utilize them.”

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