Waste management in South Korea

[4] This was significant during the Korean economic boom which created an increase in the production of municipal solid waste.

[5] The low recycling rate and increased solid waste generation contributed greatly to environmental pollution.

[6] Air quality was also affected as landfills contributed to hazardous gas emissions with unpredicted fires.

[6] The Nakdong river is one of the major streams in South Korea, a main drinking source in the Gyeongsang province.

[7] Over the past decades, population growth and industrialisation along the Nakdong river has caused pollution of the stream.

The incident caused toxic substances to leak, leading to major health concerns for the public.

Tests also found that formaldehyde also leaked into the river, but concluded that the harmful substances were diluted as the amount water discharged was increased.

[6] The VBWF system increased Korean citizens' willingness to recycle, leading to a decreased burden on incineration or landfills.

[18] A monthly fee respective to the amount of food wasted is then charged to each household, enabled through a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card.

This law was introduced with the intention of putting an end to non-biodegradable garbage in the world, as well as to manage and preserve natural resources and recyclable waste.

This waste crisis caused South Korea's recycling firms to stop collecting garbage due to the financial loss incurred from the decrease in plastic prices.

The South Korean government was forced to come up with more sustainable ways to manage plastic waste instead of shipping it overseas.

Chemicals include barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, and bromated flame retardants.

Discarded devices such as old computers, smartphones, and electrical appliances, may leak toxic chemicals if left in landfills.

To prevent leakage, the Seoul city government has partnered with SR Center to collect e-waste.

Devices are taken apart at the special recycling centre, where valuable metals such as gold, copper, or rare resources can be extracted.

[27] Many parts of the world are researching on feasible and environmentally friendly ways to dispose of e-waste for the WEEE management system.

This act is aimed at reducing the amount of e-waste ending up in landfills and incinerators, and improving the performance and lifespan of such electronic devices.

The South Korean government also funded projects to promote this method of waste management.

This rejected plastic becomes absorbed by neighbouring countries like Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and South Korea.

[32] In early January 2019, the Philippines rejected 1,200 tons of South Korean waste deemed non-recyclable.

In addition, 5,100 tons of South Korean waste had been found to be imported illegally by the Philippines.