Sillim Intersection — home to Sundae Town, Sinwon Market and a dense cluster of restaurants — is one of Gwanak-gu's most prominent commercial districts, drawing a steady stream of residents and visitors.
To keep the area clean and pleasant, Gwanak-gu, led by District Mayor Park Jun-hee, is launching an intensive crackdown on mixed waste disposal that will run through November.
The district has deployed "waste-dumping wardens" to patrol the Sillim Intersection area twice a week, focusing on identifying mixed waste disposal. Alongside on-site enforcement, the wardens distribute informational materials on proper waste sorting to shop owners and residents as part of a parallel public education effort.
From June through July, the district conducted 87 inspections and enforcement actions in the area and distributed more than 100 copies of recycling guidance materials to shop owners to encourage correct disposal practices. Violations such as mixed waste disposal can result in a fine of 100,000 won ($71) under relevant regulations.
The district is also stepping up field-based outreach to help residents and merchants better understand and practice proper waste sorting. Patrols around the Sillim Intersection area have included a "bag-opening demonstration" campaign — wardens open standard waste bags on the spot to check contents, using real examples of mixed disposal to show the correct sorting method.
Particularly given the area's concentration of restaurants, the district is also providing guidance on items that are easy to confuse, such as food waste and waste vinyl. Food waste must be disposed of in designated collection containers or bags at specified times, while items that do not qualify as food waste — such as bones and crustacean shells — must go into standard pay-per-bag waste bags. Waste vinyl should be collected separately in transparent or semi-transparent bags for recycling.
The district plans to continue on-site inspections and recycling education through November to encourage shop owners and residents to adopt correct disposal habits.
"Sillim Intersection is Gwanak-gu's leading commercial district, visited by many residents and visitors, so proper waste sorting by both merchants and residents is essential to keeping the streets clean," District Mayor Park said. "We will work to establish a culture of correct disposal through sustained education and enforcement, and make Sillim Intersection an even more pleasant place."
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