GS Engineering & Construction's 'Xi Market' Reuses Leftover Construction-Site Items; Transactions Surpass 2,000

[Financial News] Leftover items and discarded materials from construction sites are being put to productive use through GS Engineering & Construction's in-house platform and upcycling initiatives.
According to GS Engineering & Construction on the 6th, more than 2,000 transactions have been completed at 75 sites nationwide through Xi Market, its in-house secondhand goods-sharing platform launched in December 2024.
Xi Market was created in response to concerns among site employees: construction sites in the early stages of projects purchase new items, while sites nearing completion must pay to dispose of usable materials. The platform reduces waste by enabling sites to exchange and share needed items in real time. Office supplies and equipment accounted for the largest share by category, with about 900 transactions, or 46%, followed by safety supplies with 450 transactions, or 23%, and construction materials with 120 transactions, or 6%.
Materials that cannot be reused are being transformed into valuable products through upcycling. The initiative began with ideas proposed by employees at an in-house hackathon in 2022, turning discarded hard hats into desks, office nameplates and customer merchandise. More recently, vertical nets used with gang forms have been made into bags for construction sites, while upcycled benches made from discarded materials have been donated to local community welfare facilities, including Bohunwon, to share warmth. The company estimates that upcycling discarded hard hats has reduced carbon emissions by about 3 tons, producing an environmental benefit equivalent to planting 400 pine trees.
These eco-friendly efforts align with the management philosophy of field-centered innovation that CEO Heo Yun-hong has consistently emphasized. Analysts say the proactive organizational culture, in which employees identify problems on-site, develop solutions and establish them through internal systems, is producing tangible results.
A GS Engineering & Construction official said, "This has proven that even small ideas and actions at construction sites can significantly reduce resource waste," adding, "We will continue to actively identify voluntary eco-friendly ideas and take the lead in spreading a virtuous-cycle culture throughout the industry."

[email protected] Jeon Min-kyung Reporter