Recycling Your Garbage or Waste, Korea

Food Waste must be separated from general waste and placed in special disposal bags that can be purchased at your local supermarket and in some convenience stores in your neighbourhood. Each district has its own specific bags. Costs vary from one district to the other. Waste food disposal bags come in three sizes: 3 – 5 – 10 liter bags.Not all food waste can be put in the food disposal bags – the suggested rule of thumb is to include only what animals can eat as food waste. The following items are not acceptable as food waste :

Fruits : seeds of peaches, apricots, persimmons, etc. as well as hard shells such as those of acorns, chestnuts, peanuts, walnuts, coconuts, pineapples, etc.

Meats: bones and feathers.

Fish/Seafood: shells of clams, abalone, sea squirt, crabs, lobsters, etc.

Others: tea bags, herb medicine residues, etc.

Recycling is mandatory and recycled items can be disposed of in any clear plastic bag or divided by items and bound – please rinse or wash before disposing of containers. As with general waste, recyclable waste should be placed outside the building or in designated areas. Check with your realtor or local district office for days/times.

Recyclable Items
Paper: newspapers, books, notebooks, wrapping paper, corrugated card board, paper bags, paper boxes, milk cartons
Glass: beer, liquor and soda bottles
Metals: beverage cans, spray cans, iron tools, butane gas bottles, iron wires, aluminum, stainless steel
Clothes: cotton clothing
Styrofoam: chock-absorbing materials for electronic products, boxes for electronic products, boxes for fruit and fish, clean instant noodle containers, etc.
PET Bottles: containers with the number ‘1’
Plastic: items with the numbers ‘2’, ‘4’ or ‘5’ written on the container
Film: candy wrappers with recycling symbols, instant noodle wrapping, instant coffee packaging
Milk Packs: milk containers
Fluorescent Lamps: light bulbs, non- broken lamps
Plastic bags: any plastic bag
Batteries: mercury/mercury oxide batteries such as those found in watches, etc.  Also, nickel/cadmium batteries (rechargeable).

Non-recyclable Items
Paper: plastic-coated paper bags, plastic-coated paper cups
Glass: sheet glass, mirrors, heat-resistant dishes, milky white bottles, cosmetic bottles, china dishes
Metals: paint and oil containers, any toxic material container
Clothes: bedding, pillows, bags
Plastic: items with either ‘3’ or ‘7’ marked on the container, writing instruments, buttons, sockets, electric heaters, toys, baby walkers, phones, items coated with PP or PE
Milk Packs: foil tops, container labels
Fluorescent Lamps: broken lamps or bulbs
Plastic bags: instant noodle wrappers, contaminated plastic bags
Batteries: mercury batteries are designated “NR MR”, mercury oxide batteries are designated “SR”. Note: while not recyclable, manganese and alkaline batteries can go into the general waste disposal bag.

General Waste:
The following should be treated as general waste: shoes, rice cookers, sweetscontainers, electronic products, videotapes, medicine bottles, home-delivered water containers, clocks, globes, window frames, brooms, hoses, floor coverings, and any other composite items.

Disposing of large items such as furniture, electronic products, office items, heating/cooling products, etc. that cannot be put in standard size bags. There is a fee for disposing of these items that varies from W2,000 (chairs, 4-drawer dressers, vacuum cleaners) etc. to W8,000 for large items (refrigerators, air conditioners) to W15,000 for very large items (piano). Talk to your properpty owner or manager, real estate or relocation agent for the contact details of your local dong office - sometimes someone will have to go to the dong office, pay the fee and pick up the sticker that must be placed on the item before it will be picked up.

Most large apartment complexes will have marked boxes into which you must place your recyclables.
In 2007, houses and small apartments/villas were issued with net bags for their recyclables. Some still have them, but many have disappeared into the garbage trucks or simply been taken. If you don't have the nets, you are expected to put the recyclables into a bag or box and place them outside your house or in the designated area of your building on the even of the recycling pick-up day.

Recyclables and garbage bags should be placed outside between 19:00 and 23:00 - no earlier. Non-compliance can result in a fine of up to W300,000.

Most of the information above comes from Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG).

K4E Editors' Note; Korea4Expats wants to provide information that is as complete and accurate as possible so if you notice any omissions or errors on this page please let us know at info@korea4expats.com.