Local government, delivery platform, universities and restaurant industry join forces to spread reusable-container delivery culture
Dedicated return boxes to be installed in university dormitories to streamline the process from order to collection
When ordering food for delivery, customers can choose reusable containers instead of disposable ones — and when they are done eating, they simply request a pickup without washing the containers or disposing of leftovers.
Built on this convenient use-and-return system, a new delivery culture aimed at reducing single-use plastics is taking hold in Seodaemun-gu.
Seodaemun-gu announced Sunday that it is partnering with Woowa Brothers Corp., the operator of Baemin, along with local universities including Myongji University, Yonsei University and Ewha Womans University, reusable container service providers and the restaurant industry to expand reusable container delivery services.
The project focuses on building an end-to-end system covering delivery food orders, container supply, return, collection and washing, while also boosting participation from both consumers and restaurants.
The district plans to leverage its concentration of university campuses, making them key hubs for spreading a reusable-container delivery culture.
To that end, Seodaemun-gu signed an MOU on Friday with six organizations — Woowa Brothers Corp., reusable container service company Itgreen Co., Myongji University, Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University and the Seodaemun-gu chapter of the Korea Food Service Industry Association — to promote a reusable-container delivery culture in the district. The signing took place at the district mayor's office.
Under the agreement, Woowa Brothers will support reusable container orders through the Baemin app along with promotional campaigns, while Itgreen will handle container supply, collection, sanitary washing and redistribution.
The participating universities will guide students on reusable container use on campus and in dormitories, and encourage their use at university festivals and events. The Seodaemun-gu chapter of the Korea Food Service Industry Association will encourage local restaurants to join the initiative and gather on-the-ground feedback.
Facilities will also be set up to ease one of the main barriers to reusable container use: the inconvenience of returning them.
Myongji University, Yonsei University and Ewha Womans University plan to install return boxes in their dormitories. Woowa Brothers will support the production and installation of the boxes, and Itgreen will collect and manage the containers once a day.
The arrangement is intended to allow students living in dormitories — where outside access is restricted — to return reusable containers conveniently within their daily routines.
The process is straightforward. Users search for "reusable container" on the Baemin app, find participating restaurants and place an order selecting the reusable option. After eating, there is no need to wash the containers — users simply close the lids, place them in the designated bag and request a pickup by scanning a QR code. Collection is handled through door-to-door pickup as the default method.
The delivery containers are made of stainless steel and go through a seven-step sanitation process after collection before being put back into use.
Seodaemun-gu plans to extend the reusable container experience — already introduced at events such as the Seodaemun Independence and Democracy Festival, the Sinchon Global University Culture Festival and a Seniors' Day commemoration this year — into everyday delivery consumption.
In 2027, the district also plans to provide subsidies to delivery-format food service establishments for using reusable containers, and to offer consumers discount coupons for choosing the reusable option. The aim is to lower the burden on both restaurants and consumers to expand reusable container use.
"Carbon neutrality is less about grand slogans and more about creating changes people can practice in their daily lives," Seodaemun-gu District Mayor Park Woon-ki said. "We will work with universities, businesses and the local community to reduce the inconvenience of using and returning delivery containers, so that choosing reusable containers becomes a natural part of everyday life."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
