Eco-friendly garbage bags for households will be introduced on a trial basis in seven municipalities. (image: Seoul Metropolitan Government)
SEOUL, May 16 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul Metropolitan Government reported on Wednesday that it will push to completely replace public and home standard plastic garbage bag in 25 districts with eco-friendly garbage bags by the year 2020.
First of all, the city will switch from public standard plastic garbage bags to eco-friendly ones used for street cleaning and village cleaning in 25 municipalities in July.
Eco-friendly garbage bags for households will be introduced on a trial basis in seven municipalities, including Seongdong, Gwangjin, Gangbuk, Nowon, Geumcheon, Gwanak and Gangnam.
According to the city, about 63 million standard plastic garbage bags will be made from eco-friendly materials, and about 1,274 tons of greenhouse gases are expected to be cut with the effort.
The city government will then cooperate with garbage bag makers and related organizations in order to turn all public and domestic garbage bags into eco-friendly products from 2020.
Eco-friendly garbage bags are products that have been certified as environmental markers by the Ministry of Environment, with a recycling rate of 40 percent or more among the raw materials of the garbage bag under the Green Product Purchase Act.
They reduce the use of polyethylene, the main component of plastic garbage bags, thus reducing greenhouse gases. Polyethylene is a type of plastic.
Last year alone, a total of 390 million garbage bags were produced in 25 municipalities in Seoul.
There are 250 million regular garbage bags and 140 million food waste garbage bags. To that end, about 7,000 tons of polyethylene were consumed.
If all municipalities in Seoul adopt eco-friendly garbage bags, the city expects to reduce the use of polyethylene by about 2,800 tons, enabling an annual reduction of 7,694 tons of greenhouse gases.
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
