Mapo-gu, Waste Reduction Ordinance Unanimously Approved as Originally Proposed

Approval of Ordinance Boosts Incineration Waste Reduction and Strengthens Opposition to Additional Incinerator Construction
Nation's First Waste Reduction Policy Introduced...Key to Reducing Household Waste
District Mayor Park Gang-su: "Focus on Waste Reduction and Recycling Promotion from a Long-Term Perspective"

The Seoul Mapo-gu District Office (District Mayor Park Gang-su) saw its ordinance on waste reduction in Mapo-gu, Seoul, unanimously passed at the 2nd plenary session of the 266th Mapo-gu Council temporary meeting on the 5th, giving momentum to efforts to reduce incinerated waste and oppose the construction of additional incineration plants.

In particular, since this ordinance clearly reaffirms Mapo-gu’s firm opposition to the construction of additional incineration plants and was enacted with strong support from residents, it appears inevitable that Seoul City will have to revise its unilateral push to build more waste incineration facilities in the future.

A district official stated, “This ordinance, which has attracted attention from residents and the media, was thoroughly and deeply discussed from the 2nd Welfare City Committee agenda review on February 28 to the 4th committee meeting on March 4, and was unanimously approved in the plenary session. The Mapo-gu Council has decided to strengthen the district’s existing policies on reducing incinerated waste. This will be a great boost to the district’s efforts to reduce incinerated waste going forward.”

The newly passed ordinance includes groundbreaking measures for reducing incinerated waste such as ▲ promoting the recycling of coffee grounds ▲ strengthening the obligation for business waste emitters to report ▲ expanding the installation and operation of zero-incineration stores ▲ setting a price ceiling for designated waste bags ▲ and disclosing waste generation and reduction status.

Notably, the ordinance introduces special policies that Mapo-gu is the first in the nation to implement.

Even if the total daily waste from a building with multiple businesses exceeds 300kg, the district previously incinerated or landfilled all waste directly without requiring business waste emitter registration. Going forward, buildings with large waste output will be considered as having business waste emitters if the total daily waste exceeds 300kg regardless of individual business daily amounts, and must register accordingly.

Additionally, the ordinance stipulates that for ‘apartment complexes’ as defined in Article 2, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the Apartment Housing Act and for new buildings constructed under Article 11 of the Building Act, the district can require the installation of zero-incineration stores. This establishes an institutional foundation to ensure proper waste separation at points where large amounts of household waste are generated.

Especially noteworthy is the introduction of regulations to activate the recycling of coffee grounds, which have high value as recyclable resources but are currently incinerated or landfilled.

According to the district, each coffee shop can recycle an average of 3.5kg of coffee grounds daily, and with 1,585 coffee shops in Mapo-gu participating, daily incinerated waste can be reduced by 5,548kg.

Furthermore, to improve residents’ awareness of waste reduction and encourage active participation, the ordinance mandates monthly disclosure of waste generation and reduction status by neighborhood on the district’s website.

This allows residents to directly check how much waste is generated and reduced in their living areas and take appropriate action.

In addition, the district expanded the list of key recyclable items for efficient collection. Previously, 12 items ranging from paper to clothing were prioritized; reflecting the district’s characteristics with many coffee shops and small-scale garment factories, coffee grounds and garment fabrics have now been added.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “The passage of this ordinance is a strong step toward a sustainable environment, focusing on waste reduction and recycling promotion from a long-term perspective rather than short-term responses. If our efforts spread beyond Seoul to the entire country, it will serve as a catalyst for positive change toward carbon neutrality in the era of climate crisis.”

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