Yongsan-gu Expands Food Waste Collection Container Cleaning to 1,000 Locations

Six Major Commercial Districts

Intensive Cleaning Once a Week in July and August

Yongsan-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Park Hee-young) announced on May 24 that it will expand the "Food Waste Exclusive Collection Container Cleaning Project," which targets small restaurants in major commercial districts, compared to last year.

Food waste collection container cleaning scene. Provided by Yongsan District.

The district has been implementing this project since 2024 to reduce odors and contamination from collection containers. This year, the number of supported areas has increased from five to six, and the number of target businesses from 905 to 1,000. The newly added area around Itaewon Station joins the existing Gyeongridan-gil, Itaewon Global Food Street, Itaewon Quinon-gil, Yongridan-gil, and Sookdaeipgu Station areas.

The cleaning will be conducted for approximately five months starting this month. Under normal circumstances, it will be performed once every two weeks, but during July and August—when rising temperatures and humidity typically lead to an increase in odor and sanitation complaints—the frequency will be increased to once a week for intensive management. Each business will have a total of 15 cleaning sessions.

The cleaning work is carried out by a specialized company that visits the sites with small vehicles equipped with high-temperature, high-pressure steam cleaners. After collecting the food waste, the containers are cleaned and disinfected with high-temperature steam, and any remaining moisture and residue inside the containers are completely removed.

Alongside the cleaning project, the district plans to improve management by promoting the mandatory labeling of business names on collection containers and by raising awareness regarding compliance with waste disposal times and designated locations. The district will also actively replace containers that are damaged or contaminated.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, stated, "The Food Waste Exclusive Collection Container Cleaning Project is a community-focused initiative that simultaneously improves residents’ living environments and reduces the hygiene burden on small business owners. This year, with the expanded project area and increased number of beneficiaries, we will establish a more systematic management approach to create cleaner and more pleasant streets."

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