Garbage and Recycling
Figuring out how to dispose of garbage in Korea can be confusing. If you do not do this correctly, you could be subject to a fine. Garbage needs to be separated into four categories: (1) Common Garbage, (2) Food Waste, (3) Recycling and (4) Large Waste Objects. Below is a guide on how to do this.
(1) Common Garbage (일반 쓰레기)
Common garbage is essentially anything that cannot be recycled and is not food waste. It needs to be placed in regulation garbage bags.
Each district of Gwangju has its own color garbage bag:
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Nam Gu - Yellow
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Buk Gu - Orange
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Seo Gu - White (or blue)
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Gwangsan Gu - Pink
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Dong Gu - Purple
These bags can be purchased from supermarkets and convenience stores in your area. They come in different sizes measured by liters. To ask for the bags, you can say "종량제 쓰레기 봉투 주세요" (Jongryangje sseuraegi bongtu jusaeyo). Garbage is collected frequently and there will be a designated area outside your apartment to place it.
(2) Food Waste (음식물 쓰레기)
Food waste consists of any discarded food. It does not include eggs shells or animal bones - these should be put in common garbage. To avoid rotting, it is advisable to store your food waste in the freezer before disposing of it.
Disposal of food waste depends on the building in which you live. Some buildings have a communal food waste bin and in others you need to dispose of your food waste individually. In the latter case, you might need to buy food waste stickers to put on your food waste bag (any plastic bag is acceptable) or bucket. In some cases, if your food waste does not have this sticker, it will not be collected.
These stickers can be purchased from supermarkets and convenience stores in your area. To ask for the stickers, you can say "음식물 스티커 주세요" (Eumshik mul seutikeo jusaeyo). There will be a designated area outside our building to put your food waste.
(3) Recyclable Items (재활용 쓰레기)
Most apartment buildings have recycling bins outside that you should place your sorted recycling into. Each bin is for a different type of recycling. If you are unsure of what goes where, take a look at what is there already. If your building does not have recycling bins, then recyclables should be sorted, put into separate plastic bags and placed in the designated area for collection.
Recycling is sorted into the following categories:
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Paper: newspaper, magazines, paper bags, cardboard, etc.
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Glass: wine bottles, medicine bottles, jars, etc.
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Plastics: water bottles, shampoo bottles, etc.
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Metals: beverage cans, spray cans, etc.
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Plastic bags
Please ensure any items with liquid or residue on them are properly cleaned before disposal.
Clothing/ Other items
You may want to recycle clothes that you no longer wear or items you do not have space to bring back home when you leave Korea. There are a number of options to consider:
Donate them to the Gwangju Freecycle
The Gwangju Freecycle is an initiative to reduce the amount of waste generated by expats who leave Korea. It is a bi-annual event held at the GIC where anybody can donate and anybody can take for free.
Advertise on the Gwangju Flea Market Page
The Gwangju Flea Market is a Facebook group where people can buy and sell secondhand items.
Donate to H&M
H&M has a worldwide initiative to reduce waste by donating and re-purposing old clothes. You can bring any brand of clothing in any condition to the Gwangju H&M and you will receive one coupon per bag donated. One coupon will entitle you to 5000 won off if you spent 40 000 won at any H&M store in Korea.
Place them in the green bins
You will note there are green bins dotted around Korea. These are donation bins for things such as clothes, blankets, bags, etc. Find the nearest one to you and place your items in the bin.
(4) Large Waste Items (대형폐기물)
Large waste objects include televisions, washing machines, other home electronics and large items of garbage that cannot be placed in normal waste bags. There are different rules governing their disposal depending on which district you live in. In some districts you will need to schedule a pick up with the local district office and in others you will need to purchase a sticker to put on the object for collection. If you need to dispose of a large waste object, enlist the help of a Korean friend to call your local district office to find out the correct procedure for you.
For electronics that are only internally broken and have no serious cosmetic defects or externally broken parts, you can try reserving a free pick up with the Korea Electronics Recycling Cooperative (폐가전 방문수거 배출예약시스템) at https://www.15990903.or.kr