South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT plans to deploy 13,000 trash cans made with its proprietary paper recycling technology at the PyeongChang Olympics to spotlight the country’s efforts to promote environmental protection.

It will also donate 6,000 boxes of A4 paper produced through its waste paper recycling technique for use at the International Broadcasting Center during the games, according to the ministry.

The Korean government has been funding basic research for a number of fundamental technologies, including those that can be used to fight climate change led by ozone depletion. 


As part of this goal, the state-affiliated Korea Institute for Geoscience and Mineral Resources has developed a new patented technique for recycling waste paper called in-situ PCC synthesis.

The in-situ PCC technique uses waste paper and carbon dioxide to combine the paper’s pulp with PCC, or pyridinium chlorochromate, to produce high-quality A4 printing paper and other products. While reducing carbon dioxide levels, this procedure also reuses paper waste.

“By donating products produced using the in-situ PCC technology to the Olympics, South Korea is contributing its technology to make the international sporting event more green,” the ministry said.

In addition to the donations, the PyeongChang Olympics preparation committee will operate five “carbon money systems,” which will collect all A4 paper used during the event, and convert it to a sum of money.

The amount of money collected by each carbon money system will become fiscal donations to be made by global media companies covering the Winter Games.

During the Olympics, the Korea Institute for Geoscience and Mineral Resources will also operate a promotional space at the PyeongChang Olympic Festival Park to promote its carbon money systems as well as environmentally friendly cement produced using its in-situ PCC paper recycling technique.

The promotional space will include a section where children can learn how recycling paper can help decrease carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and fight climate change, the institute said.

“We hope for continued interest in our continued efforts to reduce carbon dioxide creation in the paper industry by recycling waste paper into high-value goods using technology,” said Kim Jung-won, head of basic research at the Ministry of Science and ICT.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)