Election signs to be upcycled to make products for public use

Giant plastic banners of candidates running for the March 9 presidential election are hung in Seoul's Gwanak District, March 3. Yonhap

By Lee Hae-rin

Discarded campaign banners that were used during the March 9 presidential election will be recycled and made into products for public use, the government said Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, 22 local governments have been selected to join the carbon-neutral initiative to upcycle or create products of higher quality from recycled placards, posters, and flyers from the latest election into reusable goods for public use.

This is the first government-funded recycling project of election materials, where the participating authorities will receive a maximum of 10 million won ($ 8,059) from the ministry.

The selected local authorities will work with businesses and artists to turn plastic waste from the election into reusable bags, umbrellas, farming tents, and cement materials. They will be distributed to vulnerable social groups such as seniors living alone or displayed for public use at local markets, schools, and city halls.

The upcycling initiative is expected to reduce economic and environmental costs, as two-thirds of discarded placards have been incinerated in previous elections, at a cost of around 300,000 won per ton.

These banners are plastic-based fiber printed with chemicals and release carcinogens like dioxins and microplastics when incinerated. Over 9,220 tons of banners were discarded from local elections in 2018, of which 33.5 percent was recycled and 61.3 percent was incinerated, according to the environment ministry.

However, some environmental activists question the effectiveness of the upcycling initiative and call for a reduction in the production of single-use campaign materials in the first place.

"These plastic placards are difficult and costly to recycle. The letters and pictures are printed with chemicals, which are bleached during the upcycling process, and result in additional environmental waste," Kim Mi-hwa, an activist from a local civic group called Korea Zero Waste Movement Network told The Korea Times, Monday.

"The fundamental solution to deal with massive waste produced every election season is for the National Election Commission and major political parties to set a restraint on the use of plastic during campaigns," Kim said, highlighting the country's digital literacy to substitute physical campaign materials.

When asked about the group's proposal to cut down on campaign materials, the National Election Commission said it is a "matter to be addressed by sounding out public opinion and pursuing necessary legislation."

The interior ministry plans to recycle signs from the upcoming local elections on June 1.

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