Non-compliance experience with recycling waste separation standards South Korea 2021

According to a survey conducted in July 2021, 92 percent of respondents have had some form of experience of not complying with recycling waste separation standards in South Korea. Of the respondents, 21 percent admitted to not only their non-compliance with standards but also that this was a frequent occurrence. Separating trash is mandatory in South Korea, and non-compliance can be punishable with a fine.

Recycling materials

The average recycling rate of municipal waste in South Korea was just under 60 percent as of 2020. Paper and metal were recycled at higher rates than glass or synthetic resin waste. Plastic waste is categorized under synthetic resin waste. The higher difficulty of the processing could partially explain the lower recycling rate for synthetic resin in comparison to paper or metal.

Recycling within the household

Although people are generally willing to accept a level of inconvenience to better the environment, this burden may be unequally carried within the household. More than 70 percent of respondents answered that they had just one person responsible for separating recyclable waste in their household. As such, the majority of the recycling burden is most likely on the primary caretaker of the house.