Citizen-proposed idea becomes carbon neutrality project
Businesses can apply through Nov. 20; about 10 to be selected
Each participating business to receive 250 reusable garbage bags in 10L or 20L sizes
Goyang Special City will run a pilot program from Nov. 23 to Dec. 11 to reduce single-use plastic bags used in takeout and delivery orders, in partnership with the Goyang Carbon Neutrality Support Center and Korea Aerospace University.
The initiative puts into practice an idea that won the top prize at the 2026 Carbon Neutrality Lifestyle Practice Idea Contest held in July — a proposal to replace disposable plastic bags with reusable standard garbage bags for takeout and delivery orders.
As takeout and delivery services have become a fixture of daily life, the use of plastic bags to carry food has grown alongside the proliferation of food containers. The city designed the program to curb single-use plastic consumption and raise public awareness of resource recycling by substituting reusable standard garbage bags for conventional plastic bags.
The pilot is funded through Korea Aerospace University's RISE (Regional Innovation System and Education) project budget and targets restaurants, bakeries, banchan shops and other food businesses in the city that offer takeout or delivery services.
Applications are open through Nov. 20. The city plans to select about 10 businesses based on their commitment to participating, operating track record and willingness to cooperate with surveys.
Selected businesses will each receive 250 reusable standard garbage bags — in either 10-liter or 20-liter sizes — to use through Dec. 11. Participating businesses will provide the bags free of charge to customers in place of conventional plastic bags. After the pilot ends, businesses plan to sell the bags to ensure the program's long-term sustainability.
The city expects each participating business to cut greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 180 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per year. Officials said the program demonstrates that small everyday changes — swapping out a delivery bag — can contribute to carbon neutrality and help spread a culture of sustainable living in the community.
"This project is significant because it shows that ideas proposed directly by citizens can become real carbon neutrality initiatives," a city official said. "We will work to broaden public participation so that small everyday actions can translate into community-wide change, and we will review the pilot's results and on-the-ground response to consider expanding the program in the future."
pjh@heraldcorp.com
