Shincheonji Pyeongtaek Branch Conducts Environmental Campaign Against Cigarette Dumping
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| On 28th April, volunteers are collecting cigarette butts and litter stuck between drains near the Pyeongtaek Godeok New Town Industrial Complex. |
Proactive Response to Habitual Cigarette Dumping
To mitigate the harmful consequences of habitual cigarette dumping in the Godeok Industrial Complex—the world's largest semiconductor manufacturing facility which serves as a global hub for Samsung Electronics—the Shincheonji Volunteer Group Pyeongtaek Branch executed an environmental cleanup and awareness improvement campaign on 28th April. This follows on from a large-scale intensive cigarette butt collection activity conducted in the industrial complex area earlier that month, on the 7th.
Moreover, on 28th April, the Pyeongtaek Branch simultaneously conducted a 'smoking etiquette campaign' that distributed portable ashtrays to residents and encouraged the use of designated smoking areas. The campaign informed the public about the impact of cigarette butts on health and the various diseases that result from consuming microplastics. Cigarette butts were picked up and placed in transparent glass bottles to inform the public how microplastics from cigarette butts can enter the food chain, potentially exposing humans to health risks through the consumption of contaminated drinking water.
Stepping In Where Public Systems Fell Short
Godeok Industrial Complex is known to suffer from indiscriminate dumping. Although household waste has decreased, habitual cigarette dumping has increased. Judging that simple waste collection alone has its limitations and that raising awareness to fundamentally eradicate illegal dumping is urgent, they launched on-site actions twice in April alone, amassing a staggering 600 litres of cigarette butts and debris in the Godeok Industrial Complex area.
A Model for Sustainable Urban Care
These activities demonstrate how private volunteer organisations can act as a vital bridge where public services face logistical limits. By integrating Awareness, Action, and Prevention, the Shincheonji Volunteer Group is not just cleaning streets—they are weaving a stronger social fabric and building urban and environmental resilience against the dangers of cigarette butt dumping.
As a supporter observing these initiatives, it is evident that such consistent, fact-based volunteerism is essential for fostering a culture of vigilance and communal responsibility in our modern cities.
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