Green Korea: Recycling in Korea

Written By Karly Pierre

Information collected by Farah Amin and Lee Harim

In the early 1990s, Korea faced a crisis. Its rapidly expanding economy fueled a startling rise in consumerism and the accumulating waste that inevitably followed. About 90 percent of the country’s trash was in landfills. For a country with a large population and comparatively small landmass, diminishing space in landfills was a big problem.

In 1985, the average person generated 4.85 pounds of waste a day. By 2010, that number had dropped to 2.11 pounds.

This dramatic change in wasteful behavior can be attributed to two things: volume-based waste bags, followed by a robust recycling campaign.

The volume-based waste system began in 1995. Stores began selling biodegradable plastic bags in a variety of sizes at prices that corresponded to the cost of treating that waste. The same year that the program was implemented, the average daily waste generated dropped by .42 pounds.

With a system in place to incentivize reduced waste in the early 2000s, the government made recycling a buzzword. By 2010, Seoul residents recycled 66 percent of their total waste and 54 percent of their plastic waste.

Though Korea has made enormous strides in waste management, continued investments in recycling technology such as automatic sorting systems has been needed to remain efficient. Samyang, the country’s largest PET bottling recycler, said that 10 percent of the waste it receives is improperly sorted and only 30 out of 60 large recycling centers have high-tech automated sorting machines, according to a report by Asia Today.

It is clear that with continued education and diligence, Korea can further reduce its waste and become a leading example of an environmentally-friendly country.

Often, disposing of trash correctly can be daunting for new residents. Here is a brief list of dos and don’ts for Gwangju residents.

FOOD WASTE

Food waste buckets can be purchased at local supermarkets and convenience stores. They can be placed outside designated residential areas on scheduled pickup days. Please check the City Hall website at http://english.gjcity.go.kr/ for a more complete schedule.

RECYCLING

Recycled items should be cleaned, sorted and placed in clear plastic bags outside designated residential areas.

The following items are non-recyclable:

Paper: plastic-coated paper bags and plastic-coated paper cups
Glass: sheet glass, mirrors, heat-resistant dishes, milky white bottles, cosmetic bottles and china dishes
Metals: paint and oil containers
Clothes: bedding, pillows and bags
Plastic: items with either “3” or “7” marked on the container, writing instruments, buttons, sockets, electric heaters, toys, baby walkers, phones and items coated with Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP).
Plastic bags: instant noodle wrappers and contaminated plastic bags

To dispose of large household appliances free of charge, please contact www.edtd.co.kr or call 1599-0903. Nam-gu residents can get disposal information online at: http://eclean.gwangju.go.kr/

Recycling Collection Schedule by Neighborhoods:

동구 (Dong-gu)	Once a week (Fridays)
서구 (Seo-gu)	Every day (except Sundays and public holidays)
남구 (Nam-gu)	Once a week (Wednesdays)
북구 (Buk-gu)	Twice a week (Tuesdays, Fridays)
광산구 (Gwangsan-gu)	Once a week (Wednesdays)

For recycling questions, contact the Administration of Cleaning and

Resource Recycling (청숳행정과) at 062-410-6521.