Do you know what happens to all our trash? It gets burned, buried, thrown into the ocean, or in most cases, sent to the landfill. Altogether, the amount of waste produced can cause substantial harm to our health and the environment.

In South Korea, a staggering 95% of food waste is recycled. According to a 2018 report from the United Nations, South Korea came third in a list of the best recycling countries in the world, with a recycling rate of 53.7%. However, South Korea started making an effort to recycle just 35 years ago. 

Let’s learn how South Korea achieved its status as the country with the third-best waste management system.

‍History and Practice of Recycling

‍South Korea is a small country measuring about 1/98th of the United States. It is also home to 50 million people During the 1980s, there were concerns around the amounts of waste produced.  Research showed that by recycling well, countries could reduce waste by one third. This caused consumers and manufacturers to promote recycling. As the recycling movement began, the government created systems to help people recycle. 

Let’s find out what kind of system South Korea used to increase the recycling rate. 

‍Recycling as a Culture ‍

In South Korea, recycling is a must and a daily routine. In apartments, one day of the week is dedicated to recycling. This is when the community gets together to organize their recyclables. The person in charge of recycling at the apartment helps everyone make sure the recycling is done properly. 

While it’s important to recycle, it’s more important to reduce waste. You can do this by not buying unnecessary things or by repurposing things you already have. Try donating toys to local charities instead of asking your parents for toys you don’t need. You can also repurpose your unwanted toys by giving them to friends and relatives, or trading toys with them. Try to also find alternatives to single-use plastics. Instead of plastic bottles and utensils, use a personal water bottle and reusable utensils. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Types and Methods of Recycling 

Recyclable materials include many kinds of paper, glass, cardboard, plastic, vinyl, batteries, and organic waste. Generally, items are sorted and washed thoroughly, then compressed to reduce the volume as much as possible. All labels are removed and packages made from different materials are separated. 

Plastic

Plastic and vinyl are collected separately once its label is removed.

These plastics are then divided by color, melted, and processed to the size of a grain of rice. These granules (called pellets) are used as raw materials. For example, transparent plastic bottles are melted and used to make synthetic fiber felt for clothes and other applications. Some of the plastic is also burned, and the gas and heat generated are used as an energy source.

Glass

Intact bottles are collected, whereas ceramic bowls/plates and mirrors cannot be recycled because they are often made with materials other than glass.

Liquor bottles and soda bottles are collected by the municipality and recycled by the vendor, who sterilizes and reuses them. Other glass bottles are classified by color, melted down, and used as raw materials for glassware.

Paper

Intact bottles are collected, whereas ceramic bowls/plates and mirrors cannot be recycled because they are often made with materials other than glass.

Liquor bottles and soda bottles are collected by the municipality and recycled by the vendor, who sterilizes and reuses them. Other glass bottles are classified by color, melted down, and used as raw materials for glassware.

Can

Cans made of aluminum or iron are collected separately.

Iron and aluminum are melted separately and reused. Iron is turned into rebar, and aluminum is generally turned into cans.

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Battery

Used batteries are collected in the designated waste battery box provided for each neighborhood. Batteries containing mercury are very toxic to the environment and disposed of separately.

Batteries are 100% recyclable and used to make new batteries. The iron, manganese, and zinc from the battery can also be used separately.

Organic

Food waste is drained thoroughly, and non-food items (hard seeds; tough, hard shells, such as eggshells and clams) are removed so that the collected food waste can be pulverized to serve as feed or manure. Biogas from the breakdown of organic matter is used for bus fuel.