Gangseo-gu to hand out 60,000 free waste vinyl bags through community centers

Gangseo-gu in Seoul announced Monday it will distribute about 60,000 designated waste vinyl bags free of charge, aiming to promote proper recycling habits and boost the district's resource recovery rate.

According to Gangseo-gu and the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Climate and Environment Bureau, properly separating waste vinyl that would otherwise end up in standard garbage bags could reduce household waste by about 13.2 percent.

Waste vinyl collection in the district has grown consistently since the district introduced a pilot program in 2024. From January through July this year, the amount of vinyl sorted for recycling reached 2,484 tons, up 18.6 percent from the same period last year.

Starting Monday, residents can pick up three 20-liter designated bags per household each month at their local community center at no cost.

The new distribution channel supplements an existing arrangement under which three waste vinyl bags were bundled with the purchase of a pack of 10 standard garbage bags of 30 liters or larger, broadening access for residents.

A district official said residents without the designated bags can still collect waste vinyl in transparent or semi-transparent plastic bags that allow the contents to be seen. The official cautioned, however, that mixing other household waste or food scraps with the vinyl could result in collection being refused or a fine being imposed.

Gangseo-gu District Chief Jin Kyo-hoon urged residents to "take an active interest and participate so that discarded vinyl can be recycled into a valuable resource."