In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the various problems with South Korea’s pay-as-you-throw food waste collection system and propose specific improvements.
Korea’s food culture, where individuals can choose the side dishes they want to eat, is praised by food critics around the world. However, there are still many customs that do not fit the values of modern society, such as serving excessive amounts of food that bend the table legs and considering it polite to leave food on your plate. These problems are not limited to Korean cuisine, but can also be seen frequently when eating with friends, at company dinners, and on blind dates. Many people order more food than they can eat, thinking they will try a little of everything, and when they finish eating, the table is left covered with food that could feed several more people. Most of this leftover food is disposed of as food waste, amounting to over 4.7 million tons per year. The cost of disposing of food waste exceeds 8 trillion won annually, and the amount of food waste continues to increase. This is not only a huge economic loss, but also a cause of environmental pollution. In addition, with the enactment of the Marine Environment Management Act Enforcement Rules on December 29, 2011, in accordance with the London Convention, it became illegal to dump food waste into the ocean, and Korea, which had been dumping most of its food waste into the ocean, was forced to seek new solutions. In response, the Ministry of Environment decided to implement a pay-as-you-throw system for food waste, which had been partially implemented in seven local governments since 2010, in all local governments subject to separate waste collection by 2013.
Unlike the fixed-rate system, which charged the same fee regardless of the amount of waste, the pay-as-you-throw system charges fees in proportion to the amount of waste. The pay-as-you-throw system for food waste is operated in three ways: using RFID chips, issuing payment receipts, and using special bags for food waste. The RFID chip system involves attaching RFID chips to food waste collection bins to measure the amount of food waste disposed of, and when the person disposing of the waste taps their source card on the chip, the amount of waste is recorded on the chip and a disposal fee is charged later based on the amount recorded on the card. The payment slip method uses the existing food waste collection bins in multi-family houses such as apartments and row houses, and payment slips are attached to the bins when they are full. Payment slips can be purchased at general supermarkets and convenience stores, and the cost of food waste disposal is included in the purchase price. The manager of the multi-family housing complex attaches payment slips or stickers for food waste to the collection bins as needed, and the garbage truck comes to collect the food waste. Finally, the disposal cost is included in the price of the food waste bags, which are the same as the regular garbage bags that were used previously.
All three methods are meaningful in that they allow citizens to reduce food waste on their own, as the disposal costs are borne by each individual according to the amount of waste they generate. Although the pay-as-you-throw food waste collection system was introduced with good intentions, the sudden expansion of the system, which had been implemented independently by local governments, has caused confusion among citizens.
Some citizens are aware of the change in the system but do not know how to dispose of their garbage due to insufficient publicity, and some are even fined for disposing of food waste as usual without knowing that the system has changed. In addition, multi-family dwellings are experiencing conflicts over the distribution of food waste disposal costs, which are paid jointly. Given the various side effects, the pay-as-you-throw food waste collection system needs to be improved.
Currently, multi-family houses use two methods for implementing the pay-as-you-throw system for food waste: RFID and payment slips. The RFID system has the advantages of accurately measuring the amount of food waste generated by each household and preventing odors from spreading to the surrounding area. On the other hand, the payment slip system has the advantage of requiring little replacement costs for implementing the system, as existing food waste bins can continue to be used. The core concept of the pay-as-you-throw system for food waste is that individuals pay for the disposal costs based on the amount of waste they generate, but in multi-family housing, food waste is disposed of collectively, so the pay-as-you-throw system cannot be implemented properly with the payment slip method. In multi-family housing that uses payment slips, food waste is disposed of collectively, and the disposal costs are divided among the households based on the number of households. As a result, some households end up paying more than the amount they dispose of, while others pay less than the amount they dispose of. This can lead residents to think that “since we all share the cost anyway, only those who dispose of less are stupid,” which leads to indiscriminate waste disposal and defeats the purpose of the pay-as-you-throw food waste collection system. In fact, the results of a pilot program in Dobong-gu showed that the amount of food waste in multi-family homes decreased by 3-5%, which is significantly lower than the 20-25% decrease in single-family homes. In multi-family homes operated on a payment receipt system, frozen food waste bins and the resulting odor problem have also become a major issue. Unlike the previous daily food waste collection system, under the pay-as-you-throw system, a special sticker must be affixed to the food waste bin when it is full before it can be collected, so food waste is left uncollected for several days until the bin is full. The liquid in the food waste freezes and expands, breaking the bins and causing the waste to spill out, creating a foul odor. For example, since the pay-as-you-throw system was implemented at the beginning of this year, there have been a series of incidents involving frozen food waste, and complaints from residents have skyrocketed. Not only in winter, but also in midsummer, food waste piles up and quickly decomposes in the hot weather, causing a terrible stench and attracting insects. In addition, the problem of freezing not only causes a foul odor, but also negates the economic benefits of using dedicated stickers as an alternative to RFID in order to save on initial implementation costs, as the cost of replacing the collection bins offsets the savings. Although the payment receipt method has been used for economic reasons, the freezing problem has resulted in more disadvantages than advantages.
Therefore, the RFID system should be implemented across the board as a method of implementing a pay-as-you-throw system for food waste in multi-family housing. In multi-family housing, if the RFID method is used instead of the payment slip method, which has the above problems, it will be possible to accurately measure the amount of food waste generated by each household, which will encourage residents to reduce food waste on their own, and the problems of freezing and odor will also be solved by collecting food waste from the collection bins every day.
Another problem with implementing a pay-as-you-throw system for food waste is that the criteria for food waste and general waste are vague. Under current law, fish bones with more than 50% of the flesh remaining are considered food waste, but those with less than 50% are considered general waste. In addition, vegetables such as green onions and watercress with soil on them are considered general waste, but if they are washed, they are considered food waste. Even housewives who have been doing housework for decades rarely know such details, and there is a difference in what they consider to be food waste and what they do not. If food waste is disposed of in regular garbage bags, it must be sorted again at the garbage disposal facility, or even the entire garbage truck containing mixed food waste must be sent back. This leads directly to a waste of tax money, which is ultimately paid by citizens in the form of fines. Looking around, it is common to see people throwing away eggshells and chicken bones without knowing whether they are food waste or general waste, let alone checking how much meat is left on fish when throwing it away. Clear classification of food waste is also very important in terms of resource recycling. About 18% of food waste is recycled into animal feed or compost, but the reason for this low rate is also because it is not properly separated.
Therefore, food waste classification standards should be clearly stated on collection bins and food waste bags and actively promoted through public service announcements. If the standards are written on food waste bins and food waste bags and promoted to the public through public service announcements, waste separation will improve, and tax money wasted on waste separation costs will be saved. In addition, it will greatly contribute to the recycling of food waste into animal feed and fertilizer.
Currently, fines for illegal dumping of food waste are set at a low level. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has set fines for illegal dumping at 50,000 to 100,000 won for the first offense and 100,000 to 200,000 won for the second offense. Considering that most other fines are in the 200,000 won range and that the system is still in its early stages, these fines are relatively low. Such low penalties may encourage citizens to illegally dump food waste. The change from the existing flat-rate system or free disposal to a system where fees are charged each time food waste is disposed of gives citizens the impression that they are incurring new expenses. Therefore, even if citizens do not know the difference between food waste and general waste and dispose of it by mistake, as in the case mentioned above, they can put food waste in opaque plastic bags and dispose of it in relatively inexpensive general waste bags. In addition, in some cases, food waste may be illegally dumped. This was the biggest concern before the volume-based waste collection system was implemented, and in fact, in Seo-gu and Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, the amount of illegal dumping has skyrocketed since the system was implemented, which not only looks unsightly but also causes a foul odor that makes residents frown. To prevent this, each city and county has independently hired illegal dumping enforcement officers and designated days for enforcement, but the penalties are so lenient that the measures have had little effect. In addition, to prevent illegal dumping, some multi-family houses have posted warnings stating, “Bringing food waste from outside is prohibited, and if caught, the entire disposal cost will be charged,” which is a case where residents have strengthened their own penalties to eradicate illegal dumping due to the low level of punishment. However, such methods can create additional problems by causing residents to view each other with suspicion and creating a sense of discord. Furthermore, unlike general garbage, it is difficult to identify who disposed of food waste even by looking at its contents, so even if illegal food waste is collected, it is impossible to identify its source.
To prevent this situation, the government must set high fines to eradicate illegal dumping. Of course, this must be implemented after nationwide publicity on the pay-as-you-throw system for food waste and the classification standards for food waste. Imposing high fines will encourage the stable establishment of the system in its early stages and, in line with the purpose of the pay-as-you-throw system, will prevent people from simply “hiding the truth.” .
In Korea, the use of garbage disposals is illegal. Garbage disposals grind food waste directly in the sink and discharge it into the sewer, and are already used in many households in the United States and Japan. The introduction of garbage disposal units can solve the odor problem that arises in single-person households and small nuclear families after the implementation of the pay-as-you-throw system for food waste. Nuclear families do not have a separate place to store food waste because they do not produce enough to fill a garbage bag, so they have no choice but to store it indoors. To solve the odor problem, many people living alone or working in offices have resorted to storing food waste in freezers or throwing away bags that are only 10% full to prevent mold from growing on the food waste.
In order to solve the food waste disposal and odor problems of these small families, the use of garbage disposals should be partially legalized. In 1995, the sewage coverage rate in Korea was only about 40%, so there was a lack of infrastructure for garbage disposals, but in 2012, the sewage coverage rate exceeded 91%. Even considering the fact that Korea has many combined sewer systems, if the use of garbage disposals is selectively permitted only for small families that do not have adequate space to store food waste and produce small amounts of waste, it will be possible to reduce the amount of food waste and resolve complaints from citizens who suffer from odors, achieving two goals at once.
We have looked at the shortcomings of the current food waste volume-based pricing system, which is being implemented as a way to reduce food waste, as well as the problems associated with it and possible improvements. The food waste volume-based pricing system was implemented too hastily due to the London Agreement, which Korea must comply with starting this year. As a result, many citizens are confused in the early stages of implementation, and side effects such as illegal dumping are occurring in various places. In order to stabilize the food waste weight-based pricing system, the relevant ministries must identify the causes of the current problems and come up with appropriate improvement measures. In addition, rather than simply demanding citizens to participate, it is important to raise awareness of the importance of the environment and lay the foundation for citizens to participate in environmental conservation through the food waste weight-based pricing system.
