SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent study has revealed that South Koreans use 3.3 billion plastic cups each year, enough to stack high enough to reach the moon. According to a Greenpeace report released on Saturday, South Korea used 23.5 billion plastic bags (469,000 tons), 4.9 billion plastic bottles (71,400 tons), and 3.3 [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Plastic waste is a nagging headache for Asia’s fourth-largest economy. After banning plastic cups and bags, the government is now moving to ban paper boxes and packaging tapes. Starting November, supermarkets will stop providing paper boxes and tape that shoppers can use to carry their groceries home, a move [...]
WASHINGTON, Jun. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — The G20 countries adopted a Leaders’ Declaration today in Osaka. The American Chemistry Council issued the following response, which may be attributed to Steve Russell, vice president of ACC’s Plastics Division: “America’s plastic makers welcome the G20’s Osaka Blue Ocean Vision to end plastic leakage into the ocean, and [...]
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 [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — North Gyeongsang Province announced its plans to turn Ulleung Island into an ‘isle without waste, plastic, and utility poles.’ The long-term plan is to raise the quality of the island’s nature to be listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. North Gyeongsang Province’s Pan-East Sea Regional Office said [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Starbucks Coffee Korea Co. said Thursday it will test paper straws at its stores in South Korea next month to replace plastic ones as part of its efforts to protect the environment. Starbucks Coffee Korea said the two-month test operation is set to begin Sept. 10 at 100 stores [...]
SEOUL, Jun. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Sales of eco-friendly products spiked after national confusion over recycling last month, data from a leading online mall showed Friday. According to Gmarket, sales of some of the eco-friendly items nearly doubled in the April 5-May 4 period. Purchases of lidded silicone containers, for instance, increased 115 percent during [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — The woman considered the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees was in the National Assembly Meeting Hall Buildingyesterday to share her wide-ranging views on politics, global warming and pollution.1 At an event titled “Eco Talks”, Goodall sat down for a Q&A session with Ewha Women’s University professor Choi Jae Cheon before [...]
DAEJEON, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – A team of scientists from Changwon National University has developed an eco-friendly copper catalyst that can efficiently produce hydrogen from waste material like plastic and vinyl. According to the researchers, there has been active research on gasifying plastic and vinyl using higher temperatures to develop hydrogen. Although this is [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – A group of South Korean scientists has developed an eco-friendly technology to manufacture hazard-free plastics with green algae blooms that are considered a major environment concern here, the maritime ministry said Tuesday. The team led by Park Jin-byung of Ewha Womans University developed the technology to extract lipids from [...]