Garbage Collection System
Garbage is separated by type and collected at certain days and times. It is important to separate and discard your garbage according to the guidelines in your district. Garbage is usually collected early in the morning, so it is best to put your garbage out after 10 pm the night before.
General Waste
Put your garbage in a bag specially designed for general waste, excluding food remains and recyclables.
Standardized garbage bag
You can buy garbage bags at nearby supermarkets, convenience stores, or discount stores. Colors of garbage bags for general and food wastes are different by district, so you have to check the colors before you purchase. Bags for general waste have different volumes: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 60, 75, and 100 liters; the availability of bags may differ by store. Ten and 20L bags are the most common for household use. Food garbage bags come in 2 to 5 liters and are disposed of every few days. Some villages use a container to collect food remains. Ask your neighbors for details.
Food Remains
Food waste should be strained to removed excess liquid and disposed of in a food waste bag or put in the neighborhood disposable food waste container (varies by region). RFID- and volume-based food waste treatment charging systems are operated by each local government.
Recyclables
Recyclables include paper, bottles, steel, cans, vinyl, packaging bags (with a triangular recyclable mark for separate disposal with PP, OTHER, LDPE, etc., and plastics [PET bottles, expanded polystyrene (EPS), packing materials (polystyrene), other synthetic resin packings (yogurt bottles, detergent containers, etc.)]. Plastic bottles and cans should be dried and flattened before being discarded.
Large-sized Materials
To dispose of large items such as worn-out furniture or out-of-order electronics, you must buy a sticker from your dong's community center, attach it to the item you are discarding, and place the item outside for take-away. Sticker prices differ depending on the size and type of the item. Some designated stores (supermarket, etc.) sell stickers also, depending on the region. Some apartment complexes will take care of these types of items for you for a small fee.
Discharge report via Internet: you can purchase a sticker via the Internet
(at district office homepage).
Separation and recycling of waste
When dumping trash, you must first sort your wastes into separate piles (regular disposable, food waste disposable and recycling). Garbage that is not properly discarded is not collected and a fine is imposed
General Wastes
General wastes refer to all kinds of daily waste, except for large-sized domestic waste such as food waste, recycling wastes, furniture, etc. These must be disposed in a standard plastic garbage bag designated by each district. Standard plastic garbage bags can be purchased from ordinary stores, including supermarkets. They come in various sizes (10, 20, 30, 50, 100 liters). Ten- or twenty-liter garbage bags are suitable for household use.
Food Waste
Food waste is used as feed and compost in Korea. Before discarding the wastes, they should be drained of all fluids and not be mixed with other non-food articles, such as plastic bags or lids. In an apartment complex, food wastes must be disposed of in the designated collection point. For private houses or villas, a food waste basket, along with a stamp duty sticker that may be purchased from convenience stores, must be used and Left by the roadside in front of the residence, where it is collected by the city disposal units on a daily basis.
Recycling Wastes
They are largely classified into paper, glass, plastic, metal can, and so on. For disposal, these should be placed in front of the house on the designated days of each week.
Large Items
For home appliances such as home appliances, TV, washing machine and air conditioner, call the local office(1599-0903) or request collection through the website (). For household items (wardrobes, beds, tables, etc.), apply online at the district office's website or visit the community center in person to purchase and attach stickers to the designated places. The price of stickers varies depending on the type and volume of items, so check with the relevant community center before purchasing them.
