Imagine having to pay every time you throw away leftover food. Sounds unusual? Well, that is exactly how South Korea encourages its residents to be mindful of food waste. The country has a unique ‘Pay As You Throw’ system, where households are charged based on the amount of food waste they dispose of. What makes this approach particularly interesting is that it has helped South Korea recycle almost all its food waste, making it an example for other countries looking to tackle the growing problem of food wastage.
How Did South Korea’s Food Waste Management System Begin?
South Korea‘s journey towards better food waste management began in the 1990s. Rapid urbanisation and growing waste volumes had put considerable pressure on the country’s limited landfill space. Until then, residents could dispose of most household waste without having to worry about how much they were throwing away.
In 1995, the government introduced a volume-based waste fee system, jongnyangje, commonly known as ‘Pay As You Throw’. Under this policy, households had to purchase designated garbage bags, with the cost depending on their size. The more waste they generated, the more they paid.
According to MDPI, however, a bigger change came in 2005, when South Korea banned the direct disposal of food waste in landfills. Residents were required to separate food scraps from regular household garbage. In 2013, the government further strengthened the system by introducing weight-based food waste disposal charges across the country.
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How Does South Korea’s ‘Pay As You Throw’ System Work?
The system is pretty straightforward. Residents must separate food waste from other household rubbish and dispose of it through designated methods. Depending on where they live, they can either purchase special food waste disposal bags or use electronic food waste bins.
In many apartment complexes, these bins are equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Residents scan their identification cards before disposing of food scraps. The machine then weighs the waste and automatically calculates the disposal fee based on how much has been thrown away.
This means households pay for the exact quantity of food waste they generate. The system gives people a financial reason to avoid throwing away food unnecessarily, while also making waste collection easier to monitor.
The collected food waste is then processed and converted into useful resources such as animal feed, compost and biogas.
And the results speak for themselves. According to South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the country recycles approximately 98% of its food waste. This is a remarkable improvement from 1995, when less than 3% of food waste was recycled.
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While challenges remain around the quality and safe reuse of recycled food waste, the country’s experience shows how a combination of strict rules, technology and financial incentives can bring about a meaningful change.
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@KCCPHIL
FAQs
What is South Korea's 'Pay As You Throw' system?
Locally known as jongnyangje, it is a waste management policy under which households pay according to the quantity of waste they dispose of.
What happens to food waste collected in South Korea?
It is processed and recycled into products such as animal feed, compost and biogas.
When did South Korea introduce its food waste management system?
The country introduced volume-based waste fees in 1995, banned direct food waste disposal in landfills in 2005 and introduced nationwide weight-based food waste charges in 2013.
