Busan City Holds Event to Celebrate the 16th Resource Circulation Day

1:30 PM on the 6th at City Hall, hosted by the Ministry of Environment, City, and Resource Circulation Day Organizing Committee

Organized by the Korea Waste Association, attended by over 500 public officials, related organizations, agencies, and citizens

On June 6 at 1:30 PM, the city of Busan will hold a ceremony for the 16th Resource Circulation Day at the main auditorium of City Hall under the theme "Bye Bye Plastic."

Poster for the 16th Resource Circulation Day event.

Resource Circulation Day has been commemorated annually on September 6 since 2009, designated by the Ministry of Environment to encourage citizens to practice resource conservation in their daily lives with the awareness that "waste is also a valuable resource."

The city has held commemorative events since the 3rd Resource Circulation Day in 2011. This year's event is co-hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Busan Metropolitan City, and the Resource Circulation Day Organizing Committee, and organized by the Korea Waste Association. It aims to wish for the success of the upcoming "5th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee of the UN Plastic Convention" to be held in Busan in November and to promote a "plastic-free and resource circulation culture" nationwide.

The ceremony will be attended by around 500 people, including citizens, officials from related organizations and environmental groups, and public officials. The program will proceed in the following order: pre-event activities, welcome speech, congratulatory remarks, commemorative address, awards for outstanding companies, organizations, and citizens in resource circulation, awards for winners of the Youth Resource Circulation Leadership Project Challenge, and a resource circulation campaign.

The pre-event will feature a resource circulation campaign video and a percussion performance using musical instruments made from recycled materials.

During the awards ceremony, commendations from the President, Minister of Environment, and Mayor of Busan will be presented to outstanding companies, institutions, local governments, and citizens who have contributed to resource circulation activities. The Minister of Environment Award will be given to winners of the Youth Resource Circulation Leadership Project Challenge.

In the resource circulation campaign, attendees and key figures will recite the event's theme together, reaffirming their commitment to practicing resource circulation.

Additionally, from 11 AM to 4 PM on the same day, a variety of citizen participation programs will be held as side events in the main auditorium lobby and Nokum Square at City Hall. In particular, Busan's "No Single-Use Day Pledge" and the "Resource Circulation Practice Signature Campaign" will also take place.

The side events will consist of programs that allow participants to experience, promote, and learn about roles and participation methods for realizing a plastic-free and circular economy society through exhibitions, hands-on activities, and campaigns.

A total of 30 booths will be operated, including: introduction and promotion of resource circulation policies and activities; promotion of the 5th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee of the UN Plastic Convention in Busan; zero waste exhibitions and promotions; used battery exchange; upcycling artwork exhibitions and experiences; green product exhibitions and eco-friendly fabric softener making; exhibition of small and medium-sized Korean cleaning vehicles; coffee grounds recycling experiences; and free wheelchair and umbrella repairs.

The Resource Circulation Practice Signature Campaign aims to encourage citizens to pledge to practice resource circulation and to use reusable containers, fostering a sense of public consensus that "citizen action is the answer."

Anyone can participate in the commemorative event. Participants in the campaign and other activities will receive various souvenirs, such as beverage vouchers that can be used when bringing their own tumbler.

Kim Kwanghoe, Deputy Mayor for Future Innovation, said, "On the occasion of the 16th Resource Circulation Day, I would like to once again thank the citizens, related organizations, and public officials who always do their best for resource circulation in their respective positions. As the host city of the 'UN Plastic Convention,' I hope this event will be another step forward for Busan toward a plastic-free and circular economy society, and I wish all citizens will take this day as an opportunity to pledge and practice 'resource circulation starts with me.'"

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