Gyeonggi Province Designates First-Ever 'Single-Use Product Reduction' Model Businesses as Environmentally Excellent Establishments

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hoon] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 4th that it will designate businesses leading efforts to reduce single-use products as 'Environmentally Excellent Establishments' for the first time in the nation, in order to promote a culture of 'reducing single-use product consumption' to the private sector.

The province plans to accept applications from businesses in the province until the 13th and select 'Environmentally Excellent Establishments' in January 2020. Businesses designated as 'Environmentally Excellent Establishments' will receive a designation certificate and promotional support through various media including YouTube, blogs, and homepages, while model businesses with outstanding reduction achievements will receive commendations from the provincial governor.

The selection targets include ▲businesses that participate in reducing single-use products despite not being subject to restrictions under the current Resource Recycling Act ▲businesses that voluntarily reduce single-use products not subject to usage restrictions ▲businesses that restrain usage of items whose free provision is prohibited, etc.
First, businesses that may qualify for participation in reducing single-use products despite not being subject to restrictions under the current Resource Recycling Act include ▲traditional markets (plastic bags) ▲funeral halls (single-use cups and plates) ▲laundry services (laundry plastic bags), etc.
Additionally, large-scale retailers and coffee specialty shops that voluntarily reduce single-use products without usage restriction obligations, such as umbrella vinyl covers, straws, and cup holders, may also be designated as 'Environmentally Excellent Establishments.'
Furthermore, the province plans to include in the selection targets for 'Environmentally Excellent Establishments' ▲bakeries or wholesale and retail businesses (single-use bags and shopping bags) ▲bathhouses (single-use razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, rinse) ▲sports facilities (single-use cheering items) that restrain usage of items whose free provision is prohibited.

Businesses wishing to be designated as 'Environmentally Excellent Establishments' can submit applications by the 13th to the Gyeonggi Province Resource Circulation Division or the resource circulation-related departments of each city and county. The province plans to comprehensively review the single-use product reduction plans submitted by businesses and complete the selection of 'Environmentally Excellent Establishments' by January 2020.
Previously, the province established the 'Gyeonggi Province Single-Use Product Consumption Reduction Support Ordinance' in June to provide legal grounds for designating businesses leading efforts in single-use product reduction as environmentally excellent establishments.

Lim Yang-seon, Director of the Provincial Resource Circulation Division, stated, "For establishing a culture of 'reducing single-use product consumption' together with provincial residents, cooperation from large-scale retailers and coffee specialty shops that are major users of single-use products and are frequently used by residents in their daily lives is essential," and added, "We hope for substantial interest and applications from businesses."

Meanwhile, the province made suggestions to the Ministry of Environment in May and November on two separate occasions to improve systems by restricting the use of single-use paper cups and funeral hall single-use products used in food service businesses, etc.