Environment ministry picks 12 student teams to test carbon-neutral ideas at Hyundai, CJ sites

The environment ministry said Thursday that 12 student teams have won its 2026 future-generation climate action contest, and that the best proposals will be tested on real company premises over the coming weeks.

Run jointly with the Korea Environmental Preservation Association, Hyundai Department Store and CJ Freshway, the contest paired teams of middle and high school students and university students with carbon-neutral briefs submitted by the companies. Six youth teams worked with Hyundai Department Store on reusing unworn eco-friendly bags and recycling old clothing, while six college teams worked with CJ Freshway on widening the choice of low-carbon menus, cutting single-use packaging and reducing food waste in staff cafeterias.

The teams began preliminary work in April and spent about five months attending launch events, site visits and expert lectures. They filed monthly assignments online, refining their proposals with advice from specialists and company staff, before judges weighed feasibility, creativity, sustainability, climate impact and participation.

In the youth division, the top prize, the environment minister's award, went to Cool Logic of Incheon Girls' Commercial High School, which proposed making winter running vests from the padding of unused puffer jackets. Ubak Juui-bo of Minjok Leadership Academy took the runner-up award, the Hyundai Department Store president's prize, for a plan to convert donated eco-friendly bags into reusable shopping baskets for stores. Eco Step of Sunin High School won third prize, the Korea Environmental Preservation Association president's award, for making indoor slippers from discarded mouse pads.

The college division's top prize went to Plate-O of the Catholic University of Korea, which proposed a "just one bite" system for making it easier to take only as much food as a diner will eat. Almatdam of Chungbuk National University took the CJ Freshway chief executive's award for a campaign using serving guides in self-service cafeterias to steer diners toward appropriate portions. Moving Loop of Handong Global University won the association president's award for turning irregular vegetables discarded for their shape into low-carbon menus and linking them to a QR-code feature in which users raise a virtual apple character named Curie.

Top winners in each division receive 1 million won ($747), with 500,000 won ($374) for the runner-up and 300,000 won ($224) for third place, plus additional prizes.

CJ Freshway is running the three college division proposals at its headquarters cafeteria and snack area from Oct. 12 to 23, and Hyundai Department Store will operate the youth runner-up's reusable-bag certification plan in the basement food hall of its Trade Center branch from Oct. 21 to 30. Awards ceremonies will be held for the college division on Oct. 16 at CJ Freshway's headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and for the youth division on Oct. 23 at Hyundai Department Store's headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Winning teams will tour the sites where their proposals are being tested.

"The fact that students' everyday ideas are actually being used in department stores and company cafeterias shows that the future generation is the protagonist of carbon neutrality," said Oh Il-young, head of the ministry's climate and energy policy office. "We will continue to widen the opportunities for companies and the future generation to build carbon-neutral solutions together."