JEJU – Chinese tourists are discarding so much packaging from duty free goods at the Jeju International Airport that the airport has reinforced its cleaning team and provided the tourists with garbage bags to reduce the trash.
The waiting area at the gates for the international flights was filled with rubbish before the additional measures were taken, Korea Times reported, citing Jeju newspaper Jemin Ilbo.
The tourists pick up their duty free goods at a designated area at the departure gate before their flight.
Many of them then remove the packaging to reduce the items’ bulk before boarding the plane. Instead of throwing the plastic wrappers and boxes into designated bins, the tourists toss them on the floor.
Measures to reduce the trash involve staff from duty free shops asking the tourists to use rubbish bins and giving them garbage bags, Korea Times said.
The Korea Airports Corporation in Jeju increased the number of cleaners at the gate from two to three.
“We will keep reinforcing the sanitation team at the gates for international flights,” an official from the airport told The Korea Times.
They may impose a penalty in future, the official added.
“Even though there is still lots of rubbish left after they depart, less of them are dumping it on the floor after we’ve taken action,” he said in the report.
This article was first published on Nov 5, 2016.
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