District office café partners with nearby coffee shops to kick off reusable cup rental operation
Custom cups with QR codes let users earn carbon neutrality points on every return
Professional washing and redistribution cycle aims to build eco-friendly culture across public institutions
Yeongdeungpo-gu has launched a reusable cup rental program with cash-back incentives, aiming to curb single-use plastic waste and reduce household garbage.
The district produced 4,000 rental cups — 1,000 in 12-ounce and 3,000 in 16-ounce sizes — made from BPA-free material used in infant bottles, and distributed them to coffee shops near the district office.
After using a cup, customers scan the QR code engraved on its base at a return kiosk tablet to earn 300 carbon neutrality points per use. The points can be converted into cash or pay points, letting users benefit financially while helping the environment. Return kiosks are installed at the café on the first floor of the district office's main building and at six nearby cafés.
Returned cups go through a rigorous cleaning process by a specialized contractor before being redistributed to participating cafés for reuse. The district plans to use an IoT-based QR scanning system to track rental and return cycles in real time and manage the program efficiently.
The district also plans to enforce a ban on single-use items inside the district office building and encourage dong community centers, the district council and other public institutions to join the rental program. It will continue to expand the number of cafés signed up under the rental agreement.
"At a time when the climate crisis and waste disposal problems are growing more serious by the day, we want public institutions to lead the way in building an eco-friendly culture," a Yeongdeungpo-gu official said. "Choosing a reusable cup for your daily drink is a small habit that helps the planet and earns you points — we ask residents and staff to join us actively."
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