Seoul's Jung-gu district has opened two consolidated waste disposal facilities — dubbed "Clean Houses" — in Jangchung-dong and Hwanghak-dong, operating 365 days a year, 24 hours a day starting this month, district mayor Kim Gil-sung announced.
Residents can now dispose of general waste, food waste and recyclables at any hour in a single location, reducing the inconvenience of fixed collection times while keeping neighborhood alleyways cleaner.
Repeated violations of waste disposal schedules and indiscriminate dumping in alleyways had long been a persistent problem in some residential areas. In response, Jung-gu introduced the Clean House model as a centralized solution for collecting and managing waste.
The two sites were chosen from residential areas that had generated frequent complaints due to mixed waste piling up regardless of collection hours. Clean House No. 1 was installed next to the Ambassador Hotel parking lot in Jangchung-dong (25, Dongho-ro 25-gil), and Clean House No. 2 was set up in a back alley behind Lotte Castle Venezia in Hwanghak-dong (27, Nangye-ro 23-gil).
Each facility is equipped with separate recycling bins and a standard-volume waste bag disposal unit. Residents can dispose of general waste and food waste alongside five categories of recyclables — paper, plastic, cans, glass bottles and vinyl — all in one place.
Staff from the local community service center will conduct regular patrols, and CCTV cameras will operate around the clock to crack down on illegal dumping. Violators may face fines of up to 1 million won ($682) under relevant regulations.
The district plans to expand the Clean House program to additional neighborhoods in stages, taking into account results from the first two sites and feedback from residents.
"The Clean House is a lifestyle-oriented facility that makes waste disposal more convenient for residents while keeping alleyways cleaner and more pleasant," district mayor Kim said. "We will continue working to improve the everyday living environment so that residents can feel the difference in their daily lives."
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