Gangdong-gu (headed by Lee Jung-hun) won the Korea's Best Policy of the Year Award for its establishment of the nation’s first ice pack recycling system based on private-public-corporate cooperation.

Gangdong-gu received the Jemin Prize (Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education Prize) for their establishment of an ice pack recycling system at the 2019 Korea's Best Policy of the Year Awards held at the Maekyung Media Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on December 17. Gangdong-gu's system was highly praised for having laid the foundation for creating a sustainable society through a virtuous cycle of resource usage and recycling based on private, public, and corporate cooperation.

Korea's Best Policy of the Year Award is given to the policies that have been announced throughout the year and have contributed to meaningful change in society as well as to the interests and well-being of the people. The winners are selected through a total of four categories, including the Gyeongse Prize (Economy), the Jemin Prize (Society), the Mongmin Prize (Convenience of the Public), and the Hyeoksin Prize (Regulation Innovation). The awards ceremony is hosted by the “Maeil Business Newspaper“ and co-sponsored by the Korea Economic Research Institute and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation.

After a test operation in February, the ice pack recycling system was put fully implemented with a business agreement signed between Gangdong-gu, Hyundai Home Shopping Network Corporation, and the civil group Environment Owner Citizens’ Association Gangdong-gu Office installed 18 ice pack collection containers at community service centers, while the Environment Owner Citizens’ Association sorted out the used ice packs that were collected once a week and carried out a recycling campaign. Hyundai Home Shopping cleaned the gathered ice packs every month and offered them to various institutions and hospitals free of charge. "So far, 62,700 ice packs have been collected and we have reduced 31.4 tons of household waste," said an official from Gangdong-gu.

The ice pack recycling system is highly evaluated as one of the best practices of knowledge-based administration that not only contributes to environmental conservation but also achieves private and public cooperation. The system has been benchmarked by 53 local governments nationwide, was awarded the Excellence Award at the Seoul Creative Administration Awards in May, and was selected as a best practice of government innovation by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security in October.

"This award is an achievement for all parties involved in this private, public, and corporate cooperation project to reduce microplastics and protect the environment. Gangdong-gu will continue to work with the local community on various activities to practice a green way of life, as well as recycling ice packs and reducing disposables and plastics,” said Head of Gangdong-gu, Lee Jung-hun.