Geumcheon-gu has been named an outstanding district in Seoul's second interim evaluation of district-level household waste reduction and recycling performance, securing 100 million won ($69,400) in city funds to support waste reduction and recycling initiatives, the district said.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted the evaluation in response to the ban on direct landfilling of household waste in the Greater Seoul area, assessing each district's progress in reducing and recycling household waste.
Covering performance from April through May this year, the assessment scored districts across five categories: household waste reduction, participation in source separation, citizen-practice efforts, district-specific projects, and management of waste composition in standard garbage bags.
During the evaluation period, Geumcheon-gu recorded a significant increase in recyclables collected compared with the same period last year, reflecting residents' active participation in source separation. The district's various resource-recycling policies — aimed at reducing household waste and spreading a culture of proper waste sorting — also drew favorable marks.
Four initiatives drove the district's strong showing: reducing household waste in the public sector, intensively managing mixed-waste disposal at the G-Valley industrial complex, operating a mobile eco-resource exchange shop, and broadcasting a self-produced waste-reduction promotional video titled "Geumnarae — Take Out, Put In, Share."
The 100 million won secured through this evaluation will go toward waste reduction and recycling programs at public facilities, as well as improvements to the district's sanitation environment.
"This achievement is thanks to residents who actively joined us in proper waste sorting and reducing trash," district mayor Choi Gi-chan said. "The sharp increase in recyclables collected is especially meaningful because it shows that residents' efforts have translated into real results." He added that the district would continue to expand the resource-recycling infrastructure to make participation easy and convenient for residents, and would press ahead with Geumcheon-gu's own specialized projects to reduce household waste and improve recycling rates.
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