"Even if small or contaminated, do not mix them"... Gangbuk-gu distributes 'Dedicated Waste Vinyl Disposal Bags'

'Plastic Waste Separation Promotion Project' Distributes 10,000 Sheets... Targeting Commercial Areas Such as Restaurants

Gangbuk-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Lee Soon-hee) is launching the "Waste Vinyl Separate Collection Activation Project" this month to reduce household waste.

Waste vinyl refers to vinyl that is discarded after use. Although it is a recyclable resource, awareness of it as recyclable material in households or commercial facilities is low, resulting in a high proportion being disposed of in volume-based waste bags and incinerated or landfilled.

Accordingly, the district will focus the waste vinyl separate collection project on areas around Suyu Station and Miasageori Station, where many commercial establishments are concentrated, to establish the habit of separate collection of waste vinyl at workplaces.

Starting at the end of this month, the district will temporarily distribute 10,000 dedicated waste vinyl disposal bags (30 bags per business) and encourage separate collection to activate waste vinyl separation. From next month, resource managers will visit workplaces individually to inspect the separate collection status and provide guidance on disposal methods.

In addition, the range of waste vinyl items subject to separate collection will be expanded. All vinyl, including product packaging such as coffee mix, snack bags, medicine pouches, general vinyl bags including black bags, and cushioning materials, are subject to separate collection. Even if the waste vinyl is small or contaminated, it can be recycled if emptied and separated for disposal.

However, waste vinyl heavily contaminated with food waste must be rinsed with water or cleaned of foreign substances before separate disposal. Waste vinyl can be separated and disposed of in translucent general vinyl bags even if not using dedicated bags. Food wrap used for packaging in supermarkets is not subject to separate collection.

Waste vinyl is recycled into flowerpots, building materials, and solid fuel. Recently, chemical recycling methods such as pyrolysis, mainly by petroleum and chemical companies, have been used, and it is expected to be utilized in various industries in the future.

Meanwhile, according to the 2021-2022 volume-based waste bag waste vinyl generation results announced by the Ministry of Environment, waste vinyl is generated more than twice as much in commercial facilities compared to general households.

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