Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan. [Geumcheon-gu]
Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan. [Geumcheon-gu]

Geumcheon-gu announced Tuesday that it will suspend residential waste collection for three days, from Thursday through Saturday, to allow sanitation workers employed by its contracted cleaning companies to take their summer vacation.

All household waste pickup — including standard garbage bags, food waste and recyclables — will be halted during the break. Residents may resume putting out their trash after 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The summer vacation program was established to give sanitation workers, who keep the district's streets clean in the early morning hours even through the intense summer heat, adequate rest and time to recharge. Geumcheon-gu has operated the program for contracted sanitation workers since 2017 as part of its efforts to protect workers' health and ensure safe working conditions.

To minimize inconvenience to residents during the break, the district plans to operate an emergency operations center and deploy a mobile unit of directly employed sanitation officials to respond quickly to urgent collection needs and resident complaints. The district will also publicize the vacation schedule and waste disposal dates through its website, SNS, announcements at apartment complexes, banners and informational flyers.

Geumcheon-gu recently overhauled the design of its standard garbage bags to help residents more easily understand how to sort and dispose of household waste. The new bags feature clear text prohibiting mixed disposal and illustrated guides showing which items cannot be placed in standard garbage bags.

"I ask for residents' understanding and cooperation so that the sanitation workers who have worked hard to keep our city clean despite the heat can rest fully and return to work in good health," Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan said.


ikson@heraldcorp.com