Yongsan District Begins Pilot Operation of Unmanned Clear PET Bottle Collection Machines, Offering Points

[Financial News] Yongsan District in Seoul has begun a pilot operation of unmanned clear PET bottle collection machines.
Yongsan District said on the 29th that it had installed unmanned clear PET bottle collection machines at Hyochang-dong Community Service Center and Itaewon 2 Dong Community Service Center.
The district began operating the machines in response to strong public interest and participation in the clear PET bottle-for-standard garbage bag exchange program, which was expanded this year.
The Hyochang-dong Community Service Center and Itaewon 2 Dong Community Service Center, where the machines were installed, are areas that saw active resident participation in the existing exchange program. Yongsan District is operating the exchange program and the unmanned collection machines in parallel so residents can dispose of clear PET bottles conveniently according to their circumstances.
When clear PET bottles are placed in the machine, artificial intelligence (AI) automatically recognizes and collects them. Ten won in points is credited to a dedicated application for each bottle collected. Each person can earn points for up to 20 bottles per day.
Users must empty the bottles, remove the labels, and insert them in a clean condition. The collected bottles undergo sorting and processing before being used as recycled raw materials.
Yongsan District secured KRW 300 million in performance incentives after being named the top district in Seoul Metropolitan Government's second performance evaluation of autonomous districts' household waste reduction and recycling efforts. The district used part of the incentives to install and operate the unmanned collection machines, allowing residents to experience the results of household waste reduction.
During the pilot operation, Yongsan District will assess the program's effectiveness by reviewing machine usage, the volume of clear PET bottles collected, and residents' opinions before considering whether to expand the service.
Kim Gyeong-dae, head of Yongsan District, said, "Residents showed strong interest in and participation in the clear PET bottle-for-standard garbage bag exchange program, which was expanded this year. We hope the unmanned collection machines will make it easier for residents to separate and dispose of clear PET bottles and participate in resource circulation."
Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the collection rate of clear PET bottles recovered through separate disposal increased from 7.6% in 2021 to 17.0% in 2022 and 18.9% in 2023. The recycling rate for collected clear PET bottles is in the upper 70% range.

[email protected] Lee Seol-young Reporter