What should I do with recycling in Korea? : Everyone, when you first came to Korea, you had a headache because of recycling…I didn’t know it well at first, so I was really annoyed. If you don’t throw away trash well, you can get a fine. So today, I’m going to explain how to recycle so that your head doesn’t hurt anymore!! But it can be different for each house, so you must check with the owner or management office before moving in!!
Usually, it can be divided up to three. 1. General waste 2. Recycling 3. Food waste.
You must contact the management office or the local district office to inquire about how to collect the remaining large items.
Why and how we should recycle
Waste is an unnecessary substance generated by our daily lives or industrial activities, and food debris, packaging containers, and paper are generated at home, and waste wood, scrap metal, waste oil, and waste synthetic resin are generated in solid or liquid form in industries.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Environment, 55 tons of household waste are emitted by each Korean citizen for 70 years.
Waste is rapidly increasing due to the expansion of the economic scale, the advancement of the industrial structure, and the various purchasing needs of consumers.
The number of products (instant foods, disposable products, etc.) thrown away after one use is increasingly diversifying and increasing, but most of them are insoluble and difficult to dispose of, making the problem even more serious.
In addition, the quality of waste varies and the amount of waste generated is increasing dramatically due to mass production, volume increase and over-packaging due to mass production, the emergence of packaging containers of new and diverse materials.
However, even such waste can be a valuable renewable resource in some cases. Reuse and recycling of glass bottles and recycling of aluminum cans and PET bottles are good examples of waste recycling.
In particular, the reuse of glass bottles and aluminum cans is of the highest economic value. Therefore, the first way to prevent waste pollution is to reduce the generation itself by saving and to increase reuse and recycling resources through thorough separation.
In other words, recycling is a way to revive our beautiful place of life as well as contribute to the national economy by fulfilling corporate social responsibility and saving resources by recycling high economic value through the activation of separate collection.
recycled items
Paper: newspaper, book, note, copy paper, paper pack, calendar, wrapping paper, paper cup, milk pack, paper box
Bottles: Beverage bottle, liquor bottle, drink bottle, other bottle
Canes: beverage cans, food cans, milk powder containers, canned containers, aerosols, butane gas, insecticide containers
scrap metal: tool, wire, nail, iron plate, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum, etc. non-ferrous, iron type
Clothing: Cotton products (pure woolen clothes, innerwear, etc.), synthetic fibers (mixed woolen clothes, jacket, etc.)
Plastic: Beverage bottle, soy sauce cooking oil bottle, Yakult bottle, detergent container, makgeolli bottle, water bottle, milk bottle, ramen bag, etc
BOX: Beer, soju, coke, beverage box, trash can, dustpan, water bar, hair comb, etc
non-recyclable items
Paper: Vinyl-coated paper (advertisement paper, wrapping paper, various promotional handouts)
Bottles: Milk-colored glass bottles, mirrors, various ceramics, heat-resistant utensils, fluorescent lamps, light bulbs, etc
scrap metal: hazardous substances such as paint cans
Clothing: nylon products, hanbok, blanket, cotton, pillow, carpet, leather products, disposable diapers, etc
Plastic: Heat-resistant plastic containers, phones, sockets, electric heaters, buttons, cosmetics containers, tableware, etc., composite containers PVC construction materials, snacks, food packaging containers, uneconomical containers, Styropole, disposable ballpoint pens, etc
recycling Korea 1. General trash
You must throw away regular garbage as a standard garbage bag. I usually have 10L/20L/50L/100L, but I recommend 10L/20L for a studio! And the important thing is that the envelopes available in each area are different, so make sure to check the name of the area where you live and buy it at a convenience store or mart near your house! The price of a trash bag ranges from 140 won to 2100 won. The price varies depending on the capacity.
recycling Korea 2. recyclable goods
It’s the hardest thing to do when you dispose of recyclables…crying
Usually, it is divided into paper, vinyl, cans, bottles, and plastic, but you have to throw it away at the designated place. And wash everything as clean as possible and throw it away.
Note: In the case of a bottle, the sticker on the bottle must be smeared! There may be a limited time to throw away, and each building is different, so please ask before you move in!!
recycling Korea 3. food waste
Food waste bags can also be purchased at convenience stores or marts. I know the capacity. The smaller one is 1L. If you live alone, you can use a small one. In my case, you can just put it in a plastic bag and throw it away in the food waste collection room without a food waste bag. So you have to ask this before moving in and check it out!!
