Creating Cleaner Streets in Sinsa-dong
This past July 12th, our team joined a street cleanup activity in Sinsadong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
What started as a short morning walk turned into an eye-opening reminder of how much hidden waste can be found in a place we pass by almost every day. Our mission was simple: walk a short route, pick up as much trash as possible, and leave the neighborhood cleaner than we found it.
From the start, we equipped ourselves with gloves, clear trash bags, and a shared goal. The route we chose was a mix of busy commercial streets and quiet residential alleys—places with heavy foot traffic and, unfortunately, frequent littering. At first glance, the streets seemed relatively tidy. But the moment we slowed down and looked closely—between sidewalk cracks, under benches, beside storefronts—we began spotting trash everywhere. By the end of our 1.11 km route, we had collected 138 individual pieces of waste.
What We Found: A Closer Look at the Data
Our cleanup wasn’t just about filling bags—we also documented the types of trash we found as a team:
- Paper: 30.4% (42 pieces)
- Cigarette butts: 27.5% (38 pieces)
- Plastic: 18.1% (25 pieces)
- Vinyl: 8.7% (12 pieces)
- Styrofoam: 7.2% (10 pieces)
- Cans: 5.1% (7 pieces)
- Glass bottles: 2.9% (4 pieces)
The numbers tell a clear story: cigarette butts and paper waste made up over half of everything we collected. Cigarette butts, especially, were everywhere—small, easy to overlook, but with a significant environmental impact. They tended to cluster around bus stops, alley corners, and shop entrances, while paper waste often took the form of flyers or crumpled receipts scattered on the ground.
The Small Moments That Matter
One of the most memorable moments came when one of our team members spotted a plastic wrapper lodged deep between two sidewalk tiles. It was barely visible, and could have been ignored without anyone noticing. But instead, they knelt down, carefully pried it out, and made sure the space was clear. It was such a small action, yet it perfectly captured the spirit of why we were there: to care enough to handle the details, even when no one is watching.
Beyond One Cleanup
For us, this wasn’t just about one Saturday morning. Living in a city like Seoul, it’s easy to assume someone else will deal with litter. But this experience reminded us that public spaces belong to all of us, and so does the responsibility to take care of them.
We plan to keep going—organizing regular cleanups not just in Sinsa-dong, but in other districts as well. We’re also hoping to collaborate with local communities, small businesses, and schools to build a network of people who take pride in keeping their neighborhoods clean. By documenting our activities through photos, videos, and posts like this one, we hope to inspire others to join. Even if someone doesn’t immediately volunteer, maybe the next time they see a cigarette butt or a piece of paper on the ground, they’ll pause and pick it up. Because in the end, it’s not just about clean streets—it’s about building a culture of respect, responsibility, and care for the shared spaces we call home.
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