Gangneung City Strengthens Recycling System with Distribution of Dedicated Transparent PET Bottle Collection Bags

City Responds to Drought-Driven Surge in Transparent PET Bottles
Dedicated Collection Bags Distributed to All Residents

Gangneung City in Gangwon Province is strengthening its collection and processing system for transparent PET bottles in response to a sharp increase in transparent PET bottle waste due to bottled water consumption amid the recent severe drought. The city has produced and distributed dedicated collection bags for transparent PET bottles as part of these efforts.

Transparent PET bottles being stored in an extruded form at the Gangneung City Resource Circulation Center. Provided by Gangneung City

As part of its drought countermeasures, the city has secured 8.73 million bottles of bottled water and is distributing them to all citizens. This has led to a significant surge in transparent PET bottle waste.

From September 1 to September 19, the amount of transparent PET bottle waste reached 27 tons, a 2.1-fold increase compared to the same period last year. With expectations that this figure will rise even more rapidly, the city has produced and is distributing two types of dedicated collection bags for transparent PET bottles-50-liter and 120-liter sizes.

Starting on September 18, the city has completed the distribution of 115,200 bags to 505 vulnerable facilities such as social welfare centers and 131 large apartment complexes. By September 26, an additional 211,905 bags will be distributed to detached houses and other residences, bringing the total number of distributed bags to 327,105.

Transparent PET Bottle Collection Bag. Provided by Gangneung City

For detached houses, each household will receive five bags through their local community center. Only transparent PET bottles from water and beverage containers, emptied, label-removed, and compressed, may be placed in these bags. Residents must separate these bottles from other recyclables to prevent mixing.

Additionally, the city has strengthened its collection and transportation system by extending the operating hours of vehicles dedicated to transparent PET bottle collection and deploying a mobile recycling response team. The city is also securing additional storage space for transparent PET bottles at the Resource Circulation Center and increasing the frequency of sales to further enhance preparedness.

Since March this year, the city has implemented a point system at eight recycling exchange centers to encourage high-quality resource recovery. Residents can earn 10 points for each transparent PET bottle they bring to these centers.

Kim Donggwan, Director of the Resource Circulation Division, stated, "As the use of transparent PET bottles is rapidly increasing due to the drought, we will continue to seek efficient processing measures. We appreciate the interest of citizens who care about the environment even during difficult times and ask for your continued cooperation in the future."

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