Korea marks 30 years of volume-based waste disposal amid calls for a policy overhaul

Home > Opinion > Columns

Korea marks 30 years of volume-based waste disposal amid calls for a policy overhaul

Published: 31 Jul. 2025, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Hong Su-yeol

The author is a director of the Resource Circulation Society and Economy Institute

This year marks a series of milestones in Korea’s waste management history. It is the 40th anniversary of the deposit system for soju bottles, the 30th anniversary of the volume-based waste disposal system and the 20th anniversary of the ban on the direct landfilling of food waste. Among these, the policy that most transformed Korea’s waste culture was the volume-based system, widely regarded as one of the country’s most successful environmental initiatives.

Workers handle the busy inflow and outflow of plastic waste at the Suwon Resource Circulation Center in Gyeonggi in September 2023. [YONHAP]

According to the Ministry of Environment, the policy has reduced 160 million tons of household waste and repurposed roughly 200 million tons of discarded goods since its introduction. In current terms, the economic benefits of waste reduction and recycling are estimated at 45 trillion won. While some of this achievement overlaps with the decline in coal ash from the shift away from briquettes, the nationwide adoption of recycling and waste separation after the system’s launch is undeniable. Coupled with producer responsibility programs and food waste separation, the policy has helped Korea reach one of the world’s highest recycling rates of roughly 50 percent.

The term “volume-based” reflects the principle of charging for the exact amount of waste discarded. Previously, residents paid a flat waste fee tied to property tax. Shifting to a pay-as-you-throw model was politically risky, as Koreans were unused to paying directly for waste disposal.

Even in advanced economies, such a policy is difficult to implement comprehensively. Yet the Kim Young-sam administration, after a year of pilot programs in select Seoul districts, expanded the system nationwide in January 1995. It was a success born of clear government commitment, execution capacity, and active public participation.

However, the 30-year mark also raises questions about complacency. Resource depletion and environmental threats have deepened. Domestic landfill shortages are worsening, and plastics, including microplastics, have become a global concern. Moving forward, Korea must design a comprehensive waste strategy that addresses carbon neutrality, a circular economy, the plastics crisis, and the looming landfill shortage. Reflection on past success is not enough; the next 30 years demand proactive planning.

To cut carbon emissions from resource use and waste disposal, clear targets for waste reduction and reuse must be set. Stronger measures — such as bans on single-use plastics in stores, higher plastic taxes and a deposit system for disposable cups — can curb consumption while incentivizing reusable containers. Robust refill policies for packaging should follow, and the rapid shift from reusable glass bottles to PET single-use bottles needs countermeasures. Expanding refill stations will require easing excessive regulations and offering financial support.

A resource supply chain built on recycled materials also depends on boosting both the volume and quality of recycling. Korea must develop a “bottle-to-bottle” PET recycling loop, where reclaimed materials meet the quality of new plastics. To produce beverage-safe bottles, consumer concerns regarding hygiene and safety must be addressed. A PET deposit system, like Germany’s, could ensure that beverage bottles are collected separately at near-total rates. Germany recovers almost all its PET beverage bottles, and more than half its PET production comes from recycled content.

Recyclables in volume-based trash bags should also undergo a second screening. Governments should be required to install sorting facilities before incineration plants, creating a triple safety net of deposits, separation and postcollection sorting. Such a system would help raise Korea’s stagnant recycling rate and support the landfill ban.

Massive piles of Styrofoam boxes at a recycling center in Gyeonggi on Wednesday. Every year, piles of boxes, whether cardboard or Styrofoam, are poured out after the Lunar New Year and the Chuseok harvest festival as gifts of mostly food, such as meats and fruits, are exchanged. [YONHAP]

Recycling frameworks for low-rate items such as paper cartons must be improved, while new categories like disposable diapers and coffee grounds should join the recyclable list. Each waste stream requires careful analysis and tailored solutions.

As Korea reflects on three decades of its volume-based system, the moment calls for not only celebration, but also a new blueprint. With stronger policies, 2025 can mark not only the 30th anniversary of pay-as-you-throw, but also the first year of a truly circular economy.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.