All about trash disposal in Korea

 

Have you ever had difficulties with garbage disposal or recycling while living in Seoul?

Seoul puts a lot of effort into garbage disposal and separate collection.

If you do not dispose of garbage or separate collection on the wrong day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government may impose a fine.

So, for foreigners living in Korea, Stay14 has organized the proper garbage separation and disposal.

Let's all join in protecting the environment!

 

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General Trash (일반쓰레기, 생활쓰레기)

 

1. What is general trash?

General garbage is household garbage that we generate in our daily lives. In other words, it is garbage that cannot be recycled.

 

2. How can I dispose?

We use standard plastic bags, which is 종량제봉투(jonglyangje-bongtu). There are types of household volume-based bags ranging from 5L to 100L. It costs about 120 won to 2,500 won per sheet. You can easily purchase it at a nearby convenience store.

 

 

3. Where should I dispose?

General garbage is put in standard bags and disposed of on the roadside in front of my house on a regular day and on time.

 

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Recylable Trash (재활용 쓰레기)

 

1. What is recylable trash?

Recyclable waste refers to waste that can be recycled. Types include cans, vinyl, paper, and plastic.

 

2. How can I dispose?

Recyclable waste must be sorted and disposed of by item. In other words, if it is a plastic bottle, the contents and label must be removed, and in the case of a box, the tape must be removed. Recyclable garbage bags are mainly available at convenience stores, marts, and Daiso, and usually cost 2,000 won to 5,000 won per bundle.

 

 

3. Where should I dispose?

Recyclable waste is neatly organized by item in separate bags and disposed of in front of my house on a regular and on-time basis.

 

4. Non-recyclables that can be misunderstood easily

Blotting paper in a chicken box,  a ketchup&mayonnaise&oil bottles that cannot be removed from food, stationery, broken glass, ice packs, cold packs, CDs, rubber gloves, etc.

 

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Food Trash (음식물 쓰레기)

 

1. What is food trash?

It's leftover food. Since January 1, 2005, food waste has been banned from being brought into landfills in the metropolitan area, so it must be separated from household waste so that it can be recycled as feed or compost to become a valuable resource and also to preserve our environment.

 

2. How can I dispose?

Food waste is disposed of in a dedicated food waste bag. Food waste bags are yellow. You can easily purchase it at convenience stores, and for home use, you can purchase it from 1l to 5l for 100 won to 500 won per sheet.

 

 

3. Where should I dispose?

Food waste is placed in a dedicated food waste bag and disposed of using a dedicated food waste bin in front of the house.

 

4. What not to put in food waste bags

Vinyl (bags, etc.), bottle caps, wooden toothpicks, paper, foil, straws, plastics, disposable spoons, rubber gloves, metals, spoons, chopsticks, glass fragments, metals, twine, cloth, socks, clothes, etc.

 

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Other Trash (그 밖의 쓰레기)

 

1. Waste fluorescent lights and waste batteries

There is a nearby district office or a separate collection box. If the rechargeable battery is not discharged and mixed with household waste, it may cause a fire accident during the sorting and recycling process.

 

2. Glasses

When the amount is small, you can wrap it in newspaper and throw it away in a general trash bag. Also unbroken soju and beer bottles can be sold at convenience stores.

 

3. Duvets and clothing

You can dispose of clothes or blankets that are small in volume at the clothes collection box in each neighborhood. If they are bulky, you should cut them up and throw them in the general trash bags.

 

4. Medicine

You can dispose of them at each community service center drug collection box or at a pharmacy.

 

5. Bulky waste

You can visit the district community service center in your jurisdiction or report the discharge of large household waste on the website of the ward office, pay the large household waste fee, receive a sticker, attach it to the large household waste, and place it in front of your house. Fees less than 1m in height are free of charge.

 

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So far, we have looked at how to dispose of each type of garbage in Seoul.

If you illegally dump garbage without permission, you may be fined up to 1 million won according to the regulations, so please be aware of it!

Garbage disposal times vary by region, so if you're curious, ask Stay14 and we'll kindly explain:)

Thank you! :)

 

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Sources

https://www.gwanak.go.kr/site/gwanak/07/10703010100002016051206.jsp

https://www.junggu.seoul.kr/content.do?cmsid=14187

https://www.mapo.go.kr/site/main/content/mapo05060501

https://news.seoul.go.kr/env/archives/33925

https://m.blog.naver.com/PostView.naver?isHttpsRedirect=true&blogId=si_bae&logNo=222042562818&view=img_1