Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hun), which started the nation’s first ice pack reuse and collection system, constructed a “smart platform” for systematic management of integrated information on the production, collected amount, and demand for ice packs by area that can be seen at a glance.

In order to reuse discarded ice packs in an eco-friendly manner, the district concluded an MOU with three public and private businesses and enterprises in March of last year to introduce the ice pack reuse and collection system. Starting in June of this year, the district has practiced the reuse of ice packs in partnership with the Korea Merchant Association and Environment Owner Citizens’ Assembly.

The Environment Owner Citizens’ Assembly is in charge of the collection and organization of the ice packs and the Korea Merchant Association is in charge of checking and delivering the collected ice packs. Gangdong-gu supports the overall system and manages the collection bins. The collected ice packs are sanitized by a professional company and supplied to places that need ice packs at no charge.

An app was made with the “Smart Citizens’ Lab Community Support Project,” managed by the Seoul Digital Foundation, to increase the efficiency of the eco-friendly collection system.

The program is organized of a menu consisting of △Collection, △Recovery, △Sanitation, and △Shipping, and responsive app technology was applied for use of the app on computers, tablets, and smartphones. Civil groups, the Korea Merchant Association, sanitation companies, and the district office can input information into each category at any time to share the current conditions.

In the past, the civil groups, district office, and Korea Merchant Association communicated by phone and wrote down all details by hand, making it difficult to quickly confirm information. However, the app will make communication easy and allow the involved parties to efficiently collect and distribute ice packs.

Mayor Lee Jung-hun stated, “Gangdong-gu’s ice pack reuse and collection system was selected as the ‘Innovative Case of Residential Living in 2020’ by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and received the Innovation Champion Plaque. The project is being recognized and spreading throughout the country. We will make every effort to continually develop the policy through the introduction of smart technology and make a sustainable Gangdong-gu where resources are used in a virtuous cycle.” 

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  Reusable ice packs being handed out to merchants at Amsa Market

  

  Gangdong-gu’s campaign for the reuse of ice packs