‘PROJECT 100’ is a campaign about voluntarily converting waste generated by department stores into raw material, and reusing them for items needed in the department stores.

Corporations can practice sustainable eco-friendliness by changing the way they work, i.e their systems. So we first decided to look into the problem we had within.

We began with the problem on department stores, being a distribution industry, having the largest environmental impact during the ‘transportation, distribution, use and disposal’ process.

Then we chose paper waste as our first subject of our resource circulation system because they were largely generated and easy for resource circulation.

We named our project ‘100’ with our goal in mind. This means we will reduce tree use by 100% and make recycled paper with 100% paper waste.

Corporations can practice sustainable eco-friendliness by changing the way they work, i.e their systems. So we first decided to look into the problem we had within.

First we analyzed the waste management status and material suitability through a joint research with external specialists including environment experts and recycled paper production company.

We collected our cardboard wastes and after research and development with the recycled paper factories, turned them into high quality recycled paper made 100% out of paper waste. We turned this recycled paper into shopping bags and sent them back to the department stores. We established a system that let us take responsibility for our waste and use them in a sustainable way.

The year 2020, packaging waste in South Korea increased by 20% since the pandemic. At the same time, we generated about 8,700 tons of paper waste in our 16 department stores and also made about 8 million shopping bags.

We decided to use waste we generate as resources.

The design of the shopping bag was developed to suit an eco-friendlier method of designing and printing, over the previous luxurious image preferred by department stores. We completed our design using a green gradation which is our corporation’s brand color, and also the color of nature. Before we launched the shopping bags we made two extra designs and held an exhibition for customers, and their pick was the same as ours. Through the design voting event, we not only made a relationship within the corporation but also a chance for regular customers to join and promote our campaign.

2020 December~ March, organized partnerships (Environment specialist, external advisory organization, waste management partner, recycled paper production partner, package production partner) and explored feasibility of waste management and practice through fieldwork

2021 April, successfully produced recycled paper containing 100% of our paper waste.

2021 May~ June, reevaluation of our partners due to recycled paper production partner’s lack of technology.

2021 July~ August, experiment on improving recycled paper quality, development for improving tensile strength of paper and shopping bag production suitability test.

2021 September, experiment on improving recycled paper quality, development for improving tensile strength of paper and shopping bag production suitability test.

2021 October~ December, evaluation of design and printing process based on characteristic of the new recycled paper and environmental impact

Campaign video production.

2022 January, shopping bag design exhibition and customer participation offline campaign.

2022 February ~ April, online campaign advertisement execution.