Gwangju Shinsegae Upcycles Discarded Cooler Bags into 'Safety Keyrings'

Production of Upcycled Keyrings with 50 Million KRW Investment

Gwangju Shinsegae Co., Ltd. is leading resource circulation efforts by producing and donating upcycled products made from cooler bags that are typically discarded after a single use during the holiday season.

On September 9, Gwangju Shinsegae held the "Environmental Awareness Safety Keyring" (hereinafter referred to as the Safety Keyring) presentation ceremony at Gwangju Girls' High School in Hwajeong-dong, Seo District, Gwangju-Jeonnam Integrated Metropolitan City. The event was attended by Kim Igang, Mayor of Seo District; Lee Donghoon, CEO of Gwangju Shinsegae; and Han Geumseong, Principal of Gwangju Girls' High School.

At the Environmental Awareness Safety Keyring Presentation Ceremony, Kim Ikang, Seo District Mayor, Lee Donghun, Chief Executive Officer of Gwangju Shinsegae, and Han Geumsung, Principal of Gwangju Girls' High School, are posing for a commemorative photo. Provided by Gwangju Shinsegae

A total of 2,100 safety keyrings were produced for this initiative, with an investment of approximately 50 million KRW. The project gained further significance through collaboration with local social enterprises. Of these, 200 safety keyrings were distributed at the ceremony and are designed to enable students to alert others immediately in case of danger while commuting to and from school, thereby playing a crucial role in student safety.

Following this event, Gwangju Shinsegae plans to produce and distribute an additional 1,900 safety keyrings to female high school students in Seo District, on top of the 200 delivered that day.

To encourage the recycling of cooler bags, Gwangju Shinsegae partnered with local small and medium-sized enterprises. A Hands Cooperative, which co-produced the safety keyrings with Gwangju Shinsegae, is a social enterprise known for creating handcrafted products and supporting job creation for seniors and women who have experienced career interruptions in the local community.

To manufacture the safety keyrings, Gwangju Shinsegae collected cooler bags from customers over the course of one month, from February to March. The collected cooler bags underwent washing and reprocessing before being transformed into safety keyrings.

Lee Donghoon, CEO of Gwangju Shinsegae, stated, "We are consistently focusing on eco-friendly upcycling activities, such as producing safety keyrings from cooler bags and benches made from recycled uniforms. Gwangju Shinsegae will continue to take the lead in fostering mutually beneficial management practices that support both the community and the environment."

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