Hwaseong Special City Establishes Toy Recycling Center at Dongtan 'I-Mind Playground'

Hwaseong Special City (Mayor Jung Myung-geun) signed a memorandum of understanding on "Activating Resource Circulation and Establishing the I-Mind Playground" with the Hwaseong City Environmental Foundation, Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance Co., Ltd., Root Impact, and Elephant Factory Co., Ltd. on the 21st in the central conference room on the second floor of City Hall.

The agreement was established to activate the reuse and recycling of discarded toys by connecting public infrastructure, private corporate social contributions, and the expertise of specialized organizations, while creating a space where children and families can directly experience and learn the value of resource circulation.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mayor Jung Myung-geun of Hwaseong Special City, Jung Seung-ho, President and CEO of the Hwaseong City Environmental Foundation, Jung Kyung-seon, Vice President of Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance, Kim Sang-woo, Secretary General of Root Impact, and Lee Chae-jin, CEO of Elephant Factory.

Under the agreement, the five organizations will cooperate on ▲spreading resource circulation culture ▲operating environmental education and experience programs ▲discovering public interest programs ▲establishing and operating the Dongtan Lake Recycling Center and I-Mind Playground.

By organization, Hwaseong Special City will oversee administrative support for project implementation, while the Hwaseong City Environmental Foundation will manage the space operations. Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance will sponsor facility development and operations, Root Impact will handle facility development and project performance management, and Elephant Factory will manage facility and program operations, with each organization proceeding with the project based on their expertise.

The I-Mind Playground will be established on the first basement level of the Dongtan Lake Park Parking Tower. Here, a resource circulation space will operate where discarded toys are collected, repaired, and made available for reuse, along with experience and play spaces for children and families. Additionally, the project plans to develop into a community public interest initiative that involves multiple generations together, linked with senior employment opportunities, contributing not only to resource circulation.

Mayor Jung Myung-geun of Hwaseong Special City stated, “It is significant in adding new value to toys that could otherwise be discarded, and allowing children to naturally learn the importance of resource circulation through play and experience,” and added, “I hope the I-Mind Playground becomes a space where multiple generations from children to seniors participate together to learn and practice the value of resource circulation.”