Kim Tae-sung, the mayor of Shinan County in South Jeolla Province, boarded a waste collection vehicle early in the morning to collect trash alongside sanitation workers. Following his direct experience in sanitation administration, the county plans to expand participation to the heads of 14 towns and villages, raising expectations for practical improvements in the waste collection system.
On the 29th, the county announced that Mayor Kim participated as a daily assistant to the sanitation workers in Aphae-eup, overseeing the entire waste collection and recycling process.
Starting at 7 a.m., the mayor rode with sanitation workers in the collection vehicle, touring key waste disposal sites in Aphae-eup.
He personally loaded trash onto the vehicle and organized the areas around the disposal sites, observing the challenges of the collection process and the working conditions.
Later, he visited a sorting facility within a waste treatment plant to participate in the recycling sorting process. He reviewed the waste disposal, collection, transportation, sorting, and processing procedures, and listened to the difficulties faced due to mixed waste disposal.
This hands-on experience is part of Shinan County's initiative to create a 'Clean Shinan.' The goal is to go beyond simple environmental cleanup activities by incorporating the opinions of field workers into sanitation administration and addressing issues in the waste collection system.
Notably, starting with the mayor's participation, the heads of the 14 towns and villages will also regularly engage in waste collection duties.
The town and village heads will accompany sanitation workers to directly observe the local waste disposal practices and the challenges in the collection process, aiming to reflect these observations in improving the collection system and working conditions.
Changes are also being implemented in the waste disposal methods.
Shinan County plans to establish its own 'Clean Shinan' initiative tailored to the conditions of each of the 14 towns and villages, integrating and organizing waste disposal sites by village and designating responsible officials.
The existing door-to-door collection method will gradually transition to a centralized collection system utilizing community waste disposal facilities known as 'clean houses.'
This aims to streamline collection routes and reduce littering and illegal dumping along roads.
However, for the centralized collection method to be established, detailed operational plans that consider residents' convenience, mobility burdens for the elderly, and local collection conditions will be necessary.
Kim Tae-sung stated, "It was a meaningful time to feel the hard work of sanitation workers who diligently fulfill their duties from early morning," adding, "I will actively incorporate the vivid voices from the field into sanitation administration based on this experience."
He emphasized, "We will improve the safety and working conditions of sanitation workers and create a clean Shinan that residents can feel in collaboration with the 14 towns and villages."
Meanwhile, Shinan County plans to use this hands-on experience to promote the maintenance of waste disposal facilities and improvements in the centralized collection system in each town and village. Future achievements in collection efficiency, reduction of illegal dumping, and improvement of sanitation workers' working conditions will serve as benchmarks for assessing the effectiveness of these policies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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