Ministry of Environment Hosts 'Korean-style Plastic Reduction' Exhibition Hall

Yonhap News

The Ministry of Environment announced on the 24th that it will hold an event titled "New Thoughts on Plastic" to promote South Korea's resource circulation policies.

The event will take place over five days starting from the 25th at BEXCO in Haeundae-gu, Busan. It was organized to coincide with the "5th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) on the International Treaty on Plastic Pollution," which begins on the same day.

The event will feature academic forums and seminars on the circular economy. Various presentations and policy discussions will be held on topics such as regional cooperation for the transition to a plastic circular economy, the role of youth, and marine conservation. Approximately 50 domestic and international organizations, including public institutions, local governments, international organizations, and civic groups, will host the sessions.

Additionally, consultations on the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system and financial support for developing countries will be conducted. EPR is a system that imposes recycling fees exceeding costs on producers. South Korea will share its advanced resource circulation policy management experience and provide tailored cooperation programs suited to each country. Financial support for underdeveloped countries through collaboration with the World Bank will also be introduced.

At the Korea-style Plastic Resource Circulation Exhibition Hall, recycling technologies integrated throughout all processes?from raw material production to consumption, collection, and recycling?will be showcased, including a pilot project for collecting colorless PET bottles. Visitors can also experience deposit refund systems related to disposable cups and fishing gear on-site. Twenty-seven domestic and international organizations will exhibit photos promoting resource circulation policies and related activities.

Kim Wan-seop, Minister of Environment, stated, "Through this event, we hope to introduce South Korea's plastic policies and technologies and contribute to strengthening the international community's management capabilities, ultimately achieving the treaty's goal of ending plastic pollution."

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