A new social media campaign encourages coffee lovers to use reusable cups when getting their caffeine fix, as part of efforts to reduce plastic waste. Mike Laidman reports.

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Samdo-dong, Jeju City

Office worker Ms. (고여진) Ko Yeo-jin uses a reusable cup for her coffee.

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Plastic Free Challenge campaign spreads on social media

She is participating in the “Plastic Free Challenge” by taking a selfie of herself using a reusable cup and posting the photo on Instagram.

After choosing two or more friends with whom to share the post, they are invited to join the campaign.

INTERVIEW
Ko Yeo-jin / Office worker
I saw something about the Plastic Free Challenge on Instagram. I decided to join and shared it with 20 friends. I hope it helps to reduce plastic waste.
<인터뷰 : 고여진 / 직장인>
"인스타그램에 '플라스틱 프리 챌린지'라고 피드에 올라왔어요. 그거 보고 참여하게 됐어요. 친구 20명을 지목했거든요. (이번 참여로) 플라스틱 사용이 줄고 환경이 보전됐으면 하는 바람입니다."

Owners of coffee shops are also bringing their support to the campaign.

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Coffee shops join campaign

They see the need to take action to combat the excessive amount of plastic that is distributed and thrown away daily.

INTERVIEW
Song Tae-yang / Owner, Cafe Mansa OK
I’ve always wanted my customers to use reusable cups to reduce plastic waste. My friend invited me to join the Plastic Free Challenge, and then I decided to encourage my customers to take part, too.
<인터뷰 : 송태양 / 카페 '만사오케이' 대표>
"원래부터 줄이고 싶다거나 텀블러를 많이 사용했으면 좋겠다고 생각했는데 챌린지를 권유받아서 더 큰 목소리를 낼 수 있을 것 같아서."

More and more people are interested in reducing their amount of plastic waste, and as such, over 5,000 people have joined the Plastic Free Challenge over the last three weeks.

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￦1,000 per participant donated to World Wide Fund for Nature

Every time someone joins the campaign, 1,000 won is donated to the World Wide Fund for Nature.

By the end of the year, more than 10,000 people are expected to have joined the campaign, led by a local start-up specializing in Online to Offline, or O2O, platforms.

INTERVIEW
Lee Tae-hu / O2O division, Jejupass
We came up with this idea to encourage people to bring their reusable cups to coffee shops as part of plastic waste reduction efforts.
<인터뷰 : 이태후 / 제주패스 O2O사업팀>
"생활 속에서 플라스틱 쓰레기를 줄일 수 있는 기본적인 실천 방법이 뭔지 생각하다가 텀블러를 이용하면서 다른 사람들에게 영향을 줄 수 있는 운동을 했으면 좋겠다고 생각해서 (캠페인을 시작했습니다)."

Plastic waste damages, among many other things, the marine ecosystem and, in the end, harms humans, which are at the top of the food chain.

[Reperter] Mike Laidman
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon

By helping to raise awareness about the seriousness of plastic pollution and our tremendously unnecessary usage, the “Plastic Free Challenge” is something that anyone can easily join to do their part for the planet.

Mike Laidman, KCTV