Sejong Smart City Innovation: Rooftop Greening and AI Clothing Bins

Sejong Smart City takes another step forward as a resource-circulating future city. Startup 'Greenloop', which participated in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Smart City National Pilot City Innovation Service Model Verification Project, has begun full-scale pilot operation of its IoT-based smart clothing collection solution, opening a new chapter in discarded clothing recycling. The 'Discarded Clothing Resource Management System with IoT and Central Control System' introduced by Greenloop in this project is a groundbreaking model that transforms discarded clothing from mere waste into valuable resources. First-stage smart clothing collection bins have been installed at three locations within Sejong City: Areum-dong Community Service Center, Huon Coffee in Jochiwon-eup, and Dalin Laundry in Dajeong-dong, and are awaiting active participation from citizens. These bases were strategically chosen considering citizens' daily routines, such as multi-complex community centers, university areas, and apartment complexes, maximizing accessibility and convenience. Greenloop's smart clothing collection bins are on a different level from conventional, clunky collection bins. Users can easily sign up as members via the mobile app 'Payiot', put clothes in a bag, and deposit them. Within 10 days, users can choose their desired reward between cash or donation. In particular, if donation is chosen, a donation receipt required for year-end tax adjustments can be issued, providing a virtuous cycle structure that simultaneously realizes environmental protection and the value of sharing. This is an innovative system that reduces resource waste and increases the recycling rate, while also providing users with tangible rewards and satisfaction. Starting with this initial operation, Greenloop plans to accelerate the securing of integrated operational availability, including real-time monitoring, through future additional equipment installation and system expansion. Han Kang-jin, CEO of Greenloop, expressed his ambition, stating, "Through this pilot, we will successfully verify the field suitability of the resource-circulating smart city model, and based on this, provide stable and sustainable clothing recycling services to citizens, further enhancing the eco-friendly value of Sejong, a smart city." Greenloop's attempt to integrate IoT technology into discarded clothing recycling is expected to set a standard for resource management models in smart cities across the nation, extending beyond Sejong City.