Volume of household food waste recycled South Korea 2017-2022

Over 353,000 tons of food waste were recycled in South Korea in 2022, a decrease from the previous year. However, this was still higher than that of 2019. Of the observed years, 2019 showed the lowest volume of recycled food waste in the country at around 221,000 tons. 

Food waste separation

The multiple side dishes offered in South Korean meals play a part in generating food waste in the country. Food waste is further separated into livestock feed and general waste, and the separation guidelines for each can be confusing to some. As such, over 80 percent of survey respondents did not comply with food waste separation standards. This was not limited to food waste, as over 90 percent of respondents stated to have not complied with recyclable waste separation standards at some point.

Waste management technology

The government has worked to reduce the amount of food waste produced with technology as well. By using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, citizens can be charged based on the weight of the waste being thrown out on the spot. Improperly processed food waste can lead to issues of groundwater and soil contamination.