Gwangju City to Conduct Joint Inspection on 'Excessive Packaging' of Lunar New Year Gifts on 22-23

Stock photo of a product suspected of 'overpackaging.' Provided by Gwangju City

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The city of Gwangju announced on the 21st that it will conduct inspections for excessive packaging at five large retail stores, including department stores and hypermarkets, on the 22nd and 23rd, in order to curb the generation of packaging waste ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

This inspection will be carried out by a joint team composed of Gwangju City, five local districts, and the Korea Environment Corporation. The team will focus on inspecting gift sets that are in high demand during the holiday season, such as confectionery, alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, miscellaneous goods, and assorted products, among those subject to packaging regulations at large retail stores.

The joint inspection team will issue packaging inspection orders to manufacturers and others for products suspected of excessive packaging or exceeding the allowed number of packaging layers. Manufacturers must then request an inspection from a specialized organization such as the Korea Environment Corporation and submit the inspection results. If a violation of the packaging standards is confirmed, a fine of up to 3 million KRW will be imposed.

Jung Mikyung, head of the Resource Circulation Division, stated, "Reducing packaging waste at the manufacturing, import, and sales stages is one of the key methods for decreasing overall waste," and added, "We ask for citizens' active interest in fostering an eco-friendly consumption culture."

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