Gyeonggi Province Partners with Ministry of Environment to Reduce Single-Use Plastic Container Usage

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hoon] Gyeonggi Province has decided to establish a cooperation framework with the Ministry of Environment, Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Company, Korea Restaurant Association, and Green Federation to foster a culture of using multi-use delivery and food packaging containers.

Multi-use delivery and food packaging containers refer to ordinary dishes that are washed and reused, as opposed to the concept of single-use food containers.

On the 25th, Governor Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province signed a memorandum of understanding on this matter at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building with Minister of Environment Han Jeong-ae, Hwaseong Mayor Seo Chul-mo, Gyeonggi Company Representative Director Lee Seok-hoon, Korea Restaurant Association Gyeonggi South Chapter Chairman Bang Dae-hwan, and Green Federation Representative Yun Jeong-suk.

Governor Lee Jae-myung stated, "Due to the spread of non-face-to-face consumption culture caused by COVID-19, food delivery consumption has increased explosively, but the reality is that food packaging containers are difficult to recycle." He added, "It is the public's responsibility to start with what we can do to reduce the use of single-use items."

He continued, "I believe the changes beginning in Gyeonggi Province will spread to the private sector and produce significant results. There is a Native American proverb that says we do not inherit nature from our ancestors but borrow it from our descendants. Let us all work together so that this place where our descendants will live does not suffer from the sickness of garbage."

This memorandum was prepared to promote the expansion of multi-use delivery and food packaging container usage through cooperation among each organization to solve the problem of rapidly increasing single-use plastic container waste due to the spread of non-face-to-face consumption culture (recyclable plastic household waste in Gyeonggi Province increased 22.7% in 2020 compared to 2019).

To this end, Gyeonggi Province will launch a pilot project for affiliated stores of the public delivery platform "Delivery Express," Korea's first delivery app, to use multi-use containers.

The province established a plan to use multi-use containers in connection with the Gyeonggi Province public delivery platform (Delivery Express) in April, and plans to begin the pilot project in Dongtan 1st and 2nd New Cities in Hwaseong starting from July.

The biggest challenge with using multi-use containers is the manpower and time required for collection and washing after use. The pilot project addresses this by providing multi-use container collection and washing services for participating affiliated stores through the end of the year.

This service works as follows: after consumers finish eating, they leave the multi-use containers used for delivery, a specialized company collects them, cleans them hygienically, and supplies them back to restaurants.

Gyeonggi Province will review expanding the business area based on pilot project results and will propose national budget support and system improvements to the Ministry of Environment.

Gyeonggi Company received pilot project applications from Delivery Express affiliated stores, and as of the 25th, approximately 141 affiliated stores have completed their applications.

According to the memorandum, Gyeonggi Province will actively promote policies to expand the use of multi-use delivery and food packaging containers and will oversee progress and provide administrative support as the lead organization.

The Ministry of Environment will provide administrative and institutional support, Hwaseong City will provide business promotion and on-site support, Gyeonggi Company will operate multi-use container usage services linked with Delivery Express, Korea Restaurant Association will expand participation among restaurants, and Green Federation will cooperate in joint policy development and public relations.