Waste Conversion
By Gwangju News Staff
As the amount of waste produced in Korea has steadily increased in the past few decades, so has Korea’s desire to create an effective disposal system to combat it. Over the years, the government has implemented a volume-based waste disposal system, placed recycling bins in residential neighborhoods and increased taxes on food waste all in an effort to control the growth of landfills. In 2010, 83.4 percent of waste was reused, 9.4 percent was buried, 5.3 percent was incinerated, and 1.9 percent was deposited at sea, according to the 2010 Report of National Waste Disposal and Treatment by the Ministry of Environment. Although landfills and incinerators are necessary, they are still controversial because of their affects on the environment. However, Korea is taking measures to turn trash into treasure.
Thirty percent of waste in the country is food waste and is sorted separately from other waste. Food waste disposed of in landfills releases harmful methane gas as it decomposes, so starting in 2005, burying food waste in landfills has been prohibited. However, the Sudokwon landfill near Seoul is leading the way in turning this environmental hazard into a source of energy. Sudokwon Landfill Management Corporation currently transforms methane from their landfills to over 30 million (US) dollars worth of electricity a year. The 5,000 acre landfill will reach capacity in 2044, and the company is currently working to develop technology to remove any recyclable refuse remaining in the landfill and convert more waste to fuel.
Like landfills, incinerators generate tons of energy in the country. About 1.1 million tons of combustible household waste was produced in Seoul in 2012 and converted to 730,000 tons of fuel for waste-to-energy facilities, according to Yonhap News.
According to Waste Management World, Korea aims to become one of the world’s top five green economies by generating more than 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Plans to convert old waste management facilities are being made in cities across the country.
This is a snapshot of Gwangju’s waste management infrastructure. The Environmental Corporation of Gwangju manages all environmental waste facilities in the city. Approximately 1,373 vehicles carrying 6,070.1 tons of sewage arrive at the six local offices (one incineration plant, one landfill, three sewage treatment plants and one food waste disposal plant) every month for sewage and waste management. Although the incineration plant located in Sagmu has received complaints about the odor created during the waste management process, it serves a major role, treating 40 percent of all waste for incineration. The plant will be replaced with a new SRF (Solid Refuse Fuel) facility in Namgu District in December. This plant will convert solid waste into energy and bring innovative waste management technology to Gwangju.