- 22 automated collection machines powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to be installed in 2024 to collect more transparent plastic bottles -

Incheon Metropolitan City announced that it is expanding its network of Incheon Resource Recycling Stores from 82 to 99 locations this year to boost the collection rate of recyclables and encourage proper recycling.

If you bring clean recyclables to the Incheon Resource Recycling Store, you will be paid in cash (or redeemable points) based on weight. This means you can earn some money while doing your part in recycling resources.

Incheon is the first metropolitan city to begin a pilot Resource Recycling Store project across 17 locations in three districts in 2021. In 2022, it recovered 302 tons of recyclables at 56 locations in eight districts, and paid out KRW 72 million in cash (redeemable points). Last year, Ongjin-gun, one of Incheon’s larger islands, was also incorporated into the network, bringing the total number of Resource Recycling Stores to 82 across nine Gu/Gun districts. Through its network, Incheon collected 1,162 tons and 19 types of recyclables, including transparent PET bottles, and paid out KRW 669 million.

Each store in the Incheon Resource Recycling Store program, now in its 4th year, has different names - RE-Shop (Jung-gu), Dong-gu Market (Dong-gu), Meet-you Resource Recycling Store (Michuhol-gu), Eoullim Store (Bupyeong), Mysterious Treasure Store (Gyeyang), Seoro e-Eum Store (Seo-gu), etc. - and opens at different hours. Each Gun/Gu district has its own operating policies as well.

<Incheon Resource Recycling Store in Michuhol-gu>

<Incheon Resource Recycling Store in Gyeyang-gu>

<Autonomous collection machine powered by AI in Seo-gu>

This year, Incheon plans to invest KRW 440 million in City funding to install 22 autonomous collection machines powered by AI technology in four districts, and use them to collect transparent plastic bottles that can be used to make food containers, apparel, shoes, and bags.

A City official said, “We’d love to ask everyone in Incheon to participate in our Resource Recycling Store program to help our City reduce waste as much as possible and promote recycling because the volume of waste we’re producing keeps increasing despite the looming ban on direct landfills in the metropolitan area by 2026.” He added, “The City administration will continue to pursue policies aimed at recycling resources that deliver tangible benefits to the public.”