RECYCLING ICE PACKS

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Ice packs are piling at Korean homes these days as they come with delivered food, which has sharply increased during the pandemic. It’s a waste to throw the packed ice away but figuring out how to reuse them is neither easy. One local government has introduced a recycling system that’s garnered positive response. The idea came from a proposal suggested by a citizen. Take a look.

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​An ice pack collection box set up at a local welfare center in Seosan, Chungcheongnamdo Province. People drop in with boxes filled with ice packs. Packed ice retrieved this way is provided to market vendors after a cleaning and sterilization process. Some 3,000 of them have been recycled after these collection boxes were installed at 15 welfare centers in February. A local resident’s proposal initially led to the idea to recycle ice packs.

[Soundbite] Kim Yun-jeong(Seosan) : "It was such a waste to throw them away. Micro plastics are a serious issue these days as well, so I proposed the idea of a collection system."

Here in Seosan, other creative systems are implemented, including an automatic warning against illegally posted banners and officials visiting the homes of the elderly and disabled who are in need, at the request of their neighbors.

[Soundbite] Gang Myeong-hee(Welfare worker) : "Please take your medicine at the suggested time before going to bed."

Offline civil petitions became difficult due to distancing rules amid the pandemic, so Seosan City came up with an online administrative communication channel for citizens to voice their opinions. A dozen messages arrive each day through various platforms including Facebook and KakaoTalk.

[Soundbite] Maeng Jeong-ho(Seosan Mayor) : "Our online channel will likely set an example in COVID-19 era administrative services. Officials are also informed about difficulties some residents experience."

As the noncontact way has become the norm these days, Seosan City is becoming a trendsetter by utilizing social media in its administrative affairs and encouraging active participation of citizens.