Gwangju’s New Waste Management Plan – March 2025

By Chung Hyunhwa

The Trash Situation and the New Plan

It was surprising to learn that Gwangju is generating about 1,000 tons of waste in total each day. Where does this all go? About 400 tons is going to the Yanggwa-dong landfill in Namgu, and about 600 tons goes to Naju SRF (solid recovered fuels) site, where the waste is burned to make solid fuel. The Yanggwa-dong landfill is estimated to be full by 2029, and from 2030, by the new national law related to waste management, no more landfill of combustible waste will be allowed nationwide. At the moment, Gwangju is sending a large portion of its trash to Naju SRF because there isn’t a working incineration facility in the city since the Sangmu incinerator stopped running in 2016 due to its proximity to residential areas. (The Sangmu incinerator site is being turned into a large cultural complex, including a major library, by the end of 2025.)

Gwangju now desperately needs a solution to its waste problem and has finally gotten a plan for a resource recovery center with an incineration facility, which will be located in Gwangsan District. Gwangsan District will receive 50 billion won from the city as a reward for hosting the facility, aside from 2 billion won each year, which will be used for its residents. However, there is still a conflict since the residents who live near the facility are still against the plan. The new facility that Gwangsan District has proposed follows the examples of the best facilities in Korea – those of Hanam, Pyeongtaek, and Cheonan – but the residents’ response is understandable because past trash incineration facilities never left good memories. Is it going to be safe to have such a facility nearby?

“We need a solution for the trash generated by our city, but we also want to secure clean air and safety for every citizen.”

Getting Agreement from the Public

On October 4, 2024, there was a field trip provided for the residents of Gwangsan District to Hanam Union Park, one of the newest resource recovery facilities in Korea, according to the Mudeung Ilbo newspaper. This was to give residents a chance to experience what they can expect from the planned new facility. Hanam Union Park has a 25-meter-deep underground waste management system that runs under negative pressure so that the smell of the garbage is not released into the air outside. The incoming waste will be separated into recyclable waste and waste to burn. Dioxin is the most unwanted byproduct of the waste incinerating process, but Union Park reportedly releases only one tenth of 0.1ng-TEQ/m3 which is the standard, due to the high temperature of over 800°C during combustion and the filters applied. This “park” is equipped with a landmark 105-meter-high observatory that is also the chimney, a grass square, a water park for children, a multipurpose gym, and other outdoor sports facilities. The gas from the chimney is always monitored, and air quality sensors are installed at the nearby residential areas to resolve any suspicions. It seems that there are technologies installed all around the resource recovery center, and “seeing is believing” seems to work for the visitors as well.

On December 10, 2024, according to Public News, a press conference was held by 122 seniors and civil society activists at Gwangju City Hall, and there they declared that they agreed to the installation of a resource recovery facility. They reasoned, “If there is an alternative where no waste is disposed of, we would oppose the installation of a waste incineration plant, [but] since such an alternative cannot be realized, we support the installation of a resource recovery facility, that is, a waste incineration plant, to solve the domestic waste issue in the Gwangju area.”

A Solution with No Sacrifice

Years ago, a book titled Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson opened my eyes to the issues of waste. Since then, I have tried my best to reduce the release of waste from home, but I must admit that zero waste is beyond some people’s efforts. I know there are a lot of people who are trying hard, but a thorough and complete system and new laws can do this much more effectively. Years ago, I looked into the advanced incineration system in Singapore, which seems to be the only solution for such a small country, and thought that the time for this would soon come in Korea, and here we are. As a person who is aware of such waste issues, it gives me a heavy heart to learn about the conflict surrounding the new incineration facility because I understand both sides. We need a solution for the trash generated by our city, but we also want to secure clean air and safety for every citizen. Is the new facility going to meet both needs? It is certainly fair for Gwangju to be able to take care of its waste without sending it to Naju, but if we build a waste facility in the city, it should be a perfect one so that no residents or workers will suffer from any hazardous gases, including dioxin. It is not right to ask anyone to sacrifice.

Incineration requires energy and will release some gases, even if the amount is minimal, so the less trash burned, the better it is in every way. From this, it follows that we need to find ways to minimize waste before it gets to the incinerator. This can be achieved by changing regulations for product wrapping, such as Styrofoam or plastic dishes for food at supermarkets, as it is ridiculous to buy trash as well when we just want to buy potatoes or cucumbers. Another example is the plastic straws and cups at cafes. Plastic straws were going to be replaced by paper ones in 2023, but this did not happen for political reasons, although a lot of cafes had already been prepared to use paper straws. Some straw factories that invested in paper straw production suffered financial loss, too. I read the debate about which straws are better for the environment, but fundamentally speaking, do we really need to use straws so often? Do you use straws at home, too? I am very sure that not having straws at cafes would not lead us to disaster. Thailand already banned plastic straws and cups in cafes in 2019, which shows that it is possible. Choosing plastic or paper is not enough. Choosing none seems to be a better answer.

“Another thing that we should not ignore is the importance of electing leaders with clear insight into the current environmental circumstances.”

What Matters Most

Incineration may not be unavoidable, since we have no more land available. Technology now seems to be well enough advanced for a proper incineration system, but what is lacking is trust. Thus, if we need to install such a facility, we should keep in mind that it should first of all be safe. Even in 2022, there was news that some workers at some incineration facilities were found to have accumulations of dioxin in their bodies three times higher than the average amount. I assumed they were from old facilities with poorer conditions. Safety-first is most important no matter what.

Another thing that we should not ignore is the importance of electing leaders with clear insight into the current environmental circumstances. Having a president such as Trump who canceled the paper straw policy right after returning to office is not at all helpful, considering the climate disasters, such as unusual snowstorms, summer with floods and extreme heat, and wild fires that we have had lately. Trash is a worldwide problem nowadays, but I was happy to read that the Mapo District governor in Seoul is trying hard to fight back against the pressure for another incinerator when there are already two existing ones in the area by reducing combustible waste. This is a good example, and this is why a good vote is also going to make a huge difference.

Before I finish, I would like to emphasize again that everyone’s goodwill of course matters, but a systemic approach will do more things more efficiently. Therefore, we need to do our best to minimize our waste through our goodwill and raise our voices to change the system at the same time. We need more people who agree to give up on some conveniences, if that leads to reduced waste. There is a saying: “A bird is born when there is effort from both sides of the eggshell.” What do you think?