Students from Gachon University's fashion program lead the effort
Hanam, led by Mayor Lee Hyeon-jae, is recycling the large volumes of discarded banners it collects each year into everyday household items as part of a broader push to cut waste and promote resource circulation.
The city said Wednesday it partnered with students from Gachon University's fashion department to produce 30 aprons made from used banners.
The project gives discarded banners a second life as practical household goods, serving as a concrete example of resource circulation in action.
Last year, Hanam collected 56,431 banners, weighing roughly 39.5 metric tons. Given the volume generated annually, finding ways to reuse and recycle them carries real environmental significance in reducing waste and easing the burden on disposal systems.
Banners are made from synthetic resin, which resists natural decomposition and can release pollutants when incinerated, making proper recycling especially important. Hanam has been pursuing recycling projects that extend the useful life of the material rather than simply disposing of it.
Five Gachon University fashion students — Kim Si-won, Park Chae-eun, Yang Hye-rin, Yeo Jeong-eun and Lee Chae-won — took part in making the aprons. The city supplied the collected banners as raw fabric, while the students handled the entire production process, from design and cutting to sewing, drawing on their academic training.
During their summer break, the students gathered in a workshop to cut and sew the banner material into apron shapes, completing all 30 pieces. What would have been discarded waste was transformed into usable everyday items through the combined efforts of the students and city officials.
Hanam has been running banner-recycling projects under a city ordinance promoting eco-friendly materials and banner recycling. The initiative demonstrates that discarded banners can become a resource with new value depending on how they are designed and used, and the city hopes it will raise public awareness of resource circulation in daily life.
Jeon Yong-sin, head of the road management division, said the volume of banners discarded each year makes it critical to find ways to put that waste back to use. "We will continue to develop a range of recycling approaches that reduce waste and add new value to resources, protecting the environment and advancing sustainable resource circulation," he said.
Hanam plans to follow up in the second half of the year with additional projects using discarded banners — including the production of pouches — expanding the range of recycled items and continuing its commitment to waste reduction and environmental protection.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
