Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo participates in the "Bye Bye Plastic Challenge." (Hana Financial Group)

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo joined the "Bye Bye Plastic Challenge" to increase awareness of the need to reduce plastic waste, according to the firm Wednesday.

Appointed by Community Chest of Korea Chairman Kim Byong-joon, Ham joined the social media campaign, first initiated by the Ministry of Environment in August last year.

Ham promoted the need to combat plastic pollution for the environment by holding discussions with Hana Financial employees at its office in central Seoul.

Ham later passed the baton for the relay challenge to Kim Woong-gi, chair of Global Sae-A Group, a leading apparel export company here.

"I hope everyone can grow the habit of refraining from using unnecessary single-use plastic products through the ‘Bye Bye Plastic Challenge,’” Ham said. “Hana Financial Group will work to promote environmental, social and governance agenda to secure a sustainable future and create social value.”

Hana Financial Group has been encouraging its employees and the wider public to use tumblers instead of disposable paper or plastic cups, save energy through room temperature optimization and donate used clothes, the firm explained.