The single-use products reduction campaign jointly organized by Ulsan City and the University of Ulsan is being held from November 12 to December 12 as part of an environmental action initiative to address the growing issue of disposable product use on university campuses. The campaign aims to promote the use of reusable containers and foster a sustainable consumption culture among various members of the university community, including students, faculty, and visitors. With the use of single-use cups steadily increasing at on-campus cafes, Ulsan City designed this program to put its anti-plastic policy into practice in an everyday educational setting.
 [The Korean Today] University of Ulsan campus view © So-Young Jeong |
During the campaign period, Ulsan City is conducting ten on-site promotional activities to encourage meaningful behavioral change. Approximately ten participants, including staff from the city’s Resource Circulation Division and University of Ulsan students, are stationed near the campus book café and coffee shops—areas with high foot traffic—to actively promote the reduction of single-use products. They encourage the use of personal tumblers, explain the importance of reducing disposable waste, and help guide students toward more sustainable daily habits. This hands-on approach goes beyond simple announcements and aims to influence real behavioral change.
The campaign team is also carrying out surveys and interviews to analyze actual tumbler usage and understand campus attitudes toward reusable products. The findings will be used to improve Ulsan City’s resource circulation policies and enhance future environmental programs at the university, helping establish a sustainable administrative model based on student participation. All activities are being recorded and produced as short-form videos for platforms such as YouTube Shorts. By using digital media favored by Generation Z, the campaign increases its visibility and encourages broader student engagement.
Ulsan City hopes that this initiative will help establish the use of reusable cups as a natural, everyday practice at campus cafés. The Ministry of Environment has also emphasized reducing single-use product consumption and expanding tumbler use nationwide to strengthen Korea’s resource circulation system. In this context, the collaboration between Ulsan City and the University of Ulsan is viewed as an effective, locally driven model of environmental action. University campuses, where young people gather in large numbers, have the potential to spread such eco-friendly habits throughout the wider community, amplifying the campaign’s impact.
This single-use products reduction campaign plays an important role in fostering a self-driven eco-friendly culture on campus through student-centered participation. Ulsan City plans to expand similar initiatives to more educational institutions, public facilities, and private sectors, strengthening resource circulation across the city and building a more sustainable urban environment.
Students participating in the campaign are already experiencing the significance of environmentally responsible actions and demonstrating meaningful changes in their daily habits. As more members of the university community take part, the initiative is expected to grow into a broader participatory environmental movement. Ultimately, this campaign marks an important step toward building a cleaner, more responsible city for future generations.
BY SO-YOUNG JEONG : ulsangangbuk@thekoreantoday.com
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