The concept of recycling is not foreign. The 3Rs – *Reuse*, *Reduce*, *Recycle* – have been repeatedly drilled into young minds, with the purpose of achieving a *green-er* future. Although the benefits of recycling seem to outweigh the costs, if any, not many people are putting it into action. The lagging numbers largely have to do with accessibility; according to *The Huffington Post*, the most common reason as to why people do not recycle is because of low accessibility and convenience. In order to tackle this problem head-on, the project group Recy-KU decided to focus on creating a *green-er* Anam, by putting forward a recycling map specifically designed for Korea University (KU) students who live near campus.
Recy-KU’s recycling map was first introduced to KU students on January 6 through a common university application called *Everytime* and a KU-specific application called *Koreapas*.
Red icons can be seen on the map, pointing out where students can find recycling bins for clothes and fluorescent lamps. It also points out places where they can purchase standard plastic garbage bags and food waste bags, one icon for standard size and another for bags with one-liter capacity. The five different icons are shown in the top left corner of the map, allowing users to click on each one to easily locate what they need. As the map was created for KU students, the icons are spread out in major areas of student residency and hangouts.
Recy-KU, the group that created the map, consists of four undergraduate KU students – Kim Du-ha (‘18, Sociology), Song Min-seo (‘19, Health Policy and Management), Jang Jeong-hyeon (‘19, Economics), and Jeong Hyo-rin (‘20, Political Science and International Relations). Among the four bright teammates, Song Min-seo stated, “While roaming near campus, we came to notice that recycling was not done properly in studio flat areas where many KU students reside. We believed this was because it is hard for students to recycle when living alone, as they have to handle everything by themselves. In fact, even one of our members who lives alone near campus faced difficulties recycling. This brought to our attention the lack of education and systems associated with recycling; thus, we began our research to help alleviate the issue.”
The Start of Recy-KU
A combination of the word *recycle* and *KU*, Recy-KU was formed when the four students took part in KU’s 12th Creative Challenger Program (CCP) together. Run by KU’s Center for Teaching and Learning, CCP is a program that fosters creative mindsets by supporting a research environment in which groups of undergraduate students are encouraged to solve problems in their areas of interest. Recy-KU’s fundamental goal is to collect data and analyze how well the students, who live alone, do recycling. The prime target of research is KU students.
Recy-KU has led two projects in total so far, the latest being the creation of the recycling map. Released on September 30, 2020, the first project was a recycling manual, with the purpose of providing essential information on how to recycle properly. After the release of the manual, the team decided to work on a second project. Recy-KU initially set up a plan to create an artificial intelligence (AI) model designed to predict the recycling rate in the Anam district, but the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) blocked them from collecting data that required in-person examinations. To cover the weak points of an AI model, Recy-KU settled upon creating a program that could be accessed online.
The Ups and Downs of Development
The essential element in creating a recycling map was the collection of data. In order to obtain up-to-date, quality data from KU students, the team conducted online surveys. The team used a statistical analysis program called *Statistical Package for the Social Sciences* (SPSS) to derive results from the surveys, putting together analysis reports for their research. As there were limitations on gathering necessary data due to COVID-19, the most pressing concern was the map’s credibility. Recy-KU overcame this obstacle by accessing data offered by *Seoul Open Data Plaza* run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and *Public Data Portal* run by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security.
The obtained data were strung together through coding. Jeong Hyo-rin, one of the members, described coding as, “A method of turning dreams into reality.” As coding is considered a necessity in this day and age of digitalization, Recy-KU successfully absorbed this and used it to adapt to the pandemic situation. In other words, Recy-KU used the tools of coding to move their abstract ideas into a virtual space accessible to anyone.
The reaction that Recy-KU received was positive, with many students voicing how hard it is to recycle while living alone. Many actively participated in improving the map by sending locations of collection bins the team failed to include. With the help of KU students, Recy-KU continues to modify the recycling map to keep it up to date.
The positive effects that recycling brings to the environment are undeniably evident. However, individuals do not recycle on a daily basis as the rewards are not immediate. As the beneficial effects of recycling are not quick to surface, many see recycling as a hassle and waste of time. Recy-KU’s map will undoubtedly silence those who use the lack of recycling knowledge and inaccessibility of recycling bins as an excuse.
Recy-KU’s recycling map is not only a step towards a greener KU, but it also is a step towards a greener future for the world. Although its focus is on the area near the KU campus, the features and functions of the map can be applied to regions outside of Anam or even to places outside of Korea. With further improvement, the map developed by the four KU students will provide reliable recycling information to students who live near the campus, pushing them to move recycling into action.