Seoul’s Seodaemun District announced on the 10th that it has operated a program called “School Becomes a Mine” for local elementary school students to promote a culture of resource recycling. This program encourages students to separate and discard waste electrical wires and small appliances.
The program was established to help children learn the value of discarded resources and practice resource recycling in their daily lives.
Fourteen “Resource Recycling Leaders” trained at the Seodaemun Resource Recycling Center visited five schools, including Gajaeul Elementary, Midong Elementary, Bukgajwa Elementary, Bukseong Elementary, and Hongje Elementary, over the past six months. They conducted participatory education through quizzes and group activities for around 50 classes of students from grades 3 to 6.
The education content included concepts such as the climate crisis and resource recycling, methods for separating waste electrical wires and small appliances, making guides and disposal bins, and experiencing waste resource collection. Students learned the importance of recycling and were encouraged to use the separation guides they created at home.
One elementary student remarked, “I was surprised to learn that there is metal inside wires, and I will strive to practice separating waste more diligently in the future.”
A representative from the Resource Recycling Center expressed, “We hope that more residents will become activists, spreading a culture of resource recycling. We plan to continue offering diverse educational programs in the future.”
Lee Seong-heon, the mayor of Seodaemun District, stated, “The Resource Recycling Center serves not just as a place to promote recycling, but as a hub for developing Seodaemun District’s recycling culture. We will do our best to create a sustainable recycling society together with the residents.”
