Mapo-gu to Reduce Incinerated Waste by 10,000 Tons in the Second Half of This Year

District aims to reduce household waste by 21.44%, cutting 10,862 tons this year
Final golden time to withdraw new incinerator plan
Strengthening business waste emission reporting and other measures
District Mayor Park Gang-su: "Together with 370,000 residents, we will prove no incinerator is needed"

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) is pushing to reduce household waste by 10,862 tons this year. This amount corresponds to 21.44% of last year’s generated waste, more than doubling the target compared to the previous year.

In response, Mapo-gu explained that this year is considered the last golden opportunity to prevent the construction of Seoul’s resource recovery facilities and to prepare for the 2026 ban on direct landfill of metropolitan area household waste. Therefore, they have established drastic measures to reduce incinerated waste.

Based on the Seoul Special City Mapo-gu Ordinance on Waste Reduction, enacted and promulgated last March, Mapo-gu is determined to make a last stand to reduce household waste by 10,000 tons in the second half of this year.

The district’s core waste reduction projects include ▲strengthening the reporting and processing of business waste emitters ▲recycling coffee grounds and waste sewing fabrics ▲expanding recycling of clothing and other materials ▲and expanding the operation of “Incineration Zero Stores.”

First, buildings that emit more than 300 kg per day of household, recyclable, or food waste will be regarded as business waste emitters, regardless of the amount emitted by each business operator. They will be required to report as business waste emitters and manage disposal through self-consignment.

To this end, the district plans to identify business waste emitters mainly in commercial areas densely packed with large buildings such as shopping districts and hotels, and reduce more than 5,475 tons of incinerated waste annually through self-disposal.

Additionally, coffee grounds and waste sewing fabrics, which have been classified as household waste and incinerated or landfilled, will be separately collected and recycled.

If 1,585 coffee shops in Mapo-gu recycle 3.5 kg of coffee grounds daily, 5.5 tons of incinerated waste will be reduced per day, totaling 2,024 tons annually. It is also calculated that 94 companies emitting waste sewing fabrics (an average of 19.58 kg per day) will recycle 672 tons annually.

Furthermore, the district will strengthen crackdowns and publicity on mixed household waste disposal to reduce 2,370 tons of incinerated waste, and expand clothing collection boxes (418 units) to recycle 171 tons of waste clothing annually.

The “Incineration Zero Stores,” a Mapo-style recycling separation facility, will also increase from 6 locations starting in July, including Hongdae Red Road R1, to 33 locations this year, aiming to reduce 150 tons of household waste.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “Reducing incinerated waste is something we can definitely achieve if everyone works together,” adding, “With no room to retreat, Mapo-gu will unite with its 370,000 residents in the second half of this year to reduce household waste, and we will clearly demonstrate that there are better alternatives than expanding incineration plants.”

He also urged cooperation among autonomous districts, saying, “These efforts to reduce household waste must be the top priority that all districts in Seoul must undertake together.”

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