Gyeonggi Province to Produce Ice Packs from Discarded Vinyl Banners and Supply to Traditional Markets

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province will launch an 'Ice Pack Reuse Activation Project' this month, producing ice pack collection boxes from discarded vinyl banners to collect ice packs used for fresh food deliveries and supply them to traditional markets and large supermarkets.

In May, Gyeonggi Province was selected as the top-performing local government in the Ministry of Environment's 'Discarded Vinyl Banner Recycling Evaluation' after submitting a 'Plan for Producing and Recycling Discarded Vinyl Banner Ice Pack Collection Boxes.'

Generally, discarded vinyl banners are recycled into products such as burlap sacks and shopping baskets, but once they reach the end of their usefulness, they are discarded as waste and must be incinerated. The collection boxes produced by Gyeonggi Province are made by grinding discarded vinyl banners, and they have the advantage of being eco-friendly products that can be permanently recycled by decomposing them after use.

Ice pack usage has surged with the expansion of delivery culture and increased parcel delivery of fresh food, but most are incinerated as household waste after a single use, making the need for recycling an ongoing issue.

Gyeonggi Province will invest 50 million won in government support for commercializing discarded vinyl banner recycling from the Ministry of Environment to produce a total of 160 ice pack collection boxes through recycling companies in the province, which will then be distributed to six cities including Suwon, Yongin, Pyeongtaek, Osan, Dongducheon, and Hwaseong.

The six cities will install ice pack collection boxes at key facilities such as administrative welfare centers and apartment complexes, and after a cleaning process, will resupply the ice packs to demand sources including traditional markets and large supermarkets.

Eom Jin-seop, Director of the Environment Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, "Through this project, we can reduce two types of household waste—discarded vinyl banners and ice packs—and we expect significant effects on resource conservation and environmental protection through expanded recycling of reusable items. We ask for the interest and participation of residents so that this policy with good ideas can be activated."