Seoul City Expands Reusable Container Delivery Area to Gwangjin-gu... Available in 5 Districts Within the Year

Available in Gangnam, Seocho, Gwanak, and now Gwangjin District... Expansion to Seodaemun District in November
Can hold various dishes such as jjigae, pasta, and hoe, hygienically managed with 7-step washing process

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As the surge in disposable plastic waste increases the need for reusable container delivery, Seoul City announced on the 31st that it will expand the reusable container delivery area to Gwangjin-gu.

Seoul City agreed on April 22 to expand the reusable container ordering function to four delivery apps through a business agreement, and since then has been conducting the project in Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, and Gwanak-gu. When using the four delivery apps Baedal Minjok, Yogiyo, Coupang Eats, and Ttaenggyeoyo, customers can choose reusable containers. In Gwangjin-gu, 50 stores have joined as restaurants using reusable containers, creating a total of about 280 'Zero Restaurants.' The city expects more than 550 restaurants to participate in using reusable containers within this year.

The reusable containers used for food delivery come in various sizes and shapes, capable of holding most delivery foods such as jjigae (stew), gimbap, pasta, and hoe (raw fish). The capacity ranges from a minimum of 50ml to a maximum of 2640ml, allowing for side dishes, sauces, and large portions of food. Returned reusable containers undergo a hygienic seven-step cleaning process: 'pre-washing → soaking → high-temperature washing → rinsing → drying → sterilization → inspection' before being reused.

The reusable container usage fee is set at a level similar to the cost paid by stores for purchasing disposable delivery containers, and there are no additional collection fees or deposits after return, allowing both store owners and consumers to use them without extra cost burdens.

Various benefits are provided to customers who order with reusable containers. Each delivery app offers discount coupons and gift promotions, and it is also possible to accumulate carbon-neutral practice points worth 1,000 KRW.

Meanwhile, the number of orders using reusable containers in September totaled 2,700, which is more than a 250% increase compared to the pilot project orders conducted by Seoul City in January with the 'Yogiyo' delivery app and Gangnam-gu. To meet the increasing demand for reusable containers, the city announced plans to expand the reusable container ordering area to Seodaemun-gu by November.

Choi Cheol-woong, head of the Seoul City Resource Circulation Division, said, “We hope this project will be a turning point to reduce disposable delivery container waste, which has increased due to COVID-19 and the rise of single-person households,” adding, “Seoul City will continue to expand the use of reusable containers in cooperation with delivery apps and restaurants.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.