Yangcheon-gu (district mayor Lee Gi-jae) is launching an additional subsidy program for home food waste reducers to cut household food waste and improve residents' living environment.
Compact food waste reducers have drawn strong interest from residents for their ability to shrink the volume and frequency of food waste disposal while making the process more convenient. The district first supported 144 households last year, and this year allocated its entire program budget from district funds to provide purchase subsidies to 282 households in the first half.
Demand in the first-half round exceeded the available slots, prompting the district to select an additional 100 households in the second half.
Eligible applicants must be registered residents of Yangcheon-gu as of the announcement date and must have purchased — or plan to purchase — a home food waste reducer on or after Jan. 1 this year.
Eligible products must have a daily processing capacity of 1 to 5 kilograms, use a drying-and-grinding or microbial fermentation method, and hold both quality certifications — such as the Q Mark, K Mark or Environmental Label — and KC safety certification. Kitchen garbage disposals that grind food waste and discharge it directly into the sewage system are excluded.
The district covers 30 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of 210,000 won ($147) per household. Only one unit per household is eligible, and households that have already received a subsidy for the same program through the Seoul Metropolitan Government or another district office may not apply.
Applications are open from Aug. 18 through Sept. 1. Residents may apply in person at the Yangcheon-gu district office's sanitation administration division or online through the district office website's integrated reservation portal. If applications exceed the available slots, 100 households will be chosen by random electronic lottery. Results will be announced by individual text message in early September after a document review.
"Reflecting the strong interest and demand residents have shown for home food waste reducers, we decided to extend support into the second half of the year as well," district mayor Lee said. "We will continue to expand eco-friendly policies that residents can feel in their daily lives and lead the way in creating a pleasant urban environment."
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