Daily amount of domestic trash generated per person South Korea 2012-2022

In 2022, the amount of domestic trash generated per person per day in South Korea reached 1.2 kilograms. Jeju island generated the highest average daily volume of municipal waste per capita out of the South Korean provinces and produced a higher per capita volume than the national amount of domestic trash.

South Korean waste management

To manage resources and limited land effectively, South Korea made recycling an obligation, and noncompliance results in a fine. Since the introduction of the recycling bill in 2017, the yearly volume of recycled waste in South Korea has increased significantly. As South Korea has extensive industry and construction sectors, they make up more than three-fourth of the distribution of waste produced in South Korea. Municipal waste only made up around 8.5 percent of total amount of waste produced.

Municipal waste

On average, the rate of recycling of waste in South Korean municipalities was at around 56 percent. Metal waste was reported to have been recycled the most among thrown-out materials. Although recycling was an obligation by law, most South Koreans have had experience with not complying with the recyclable waste separation standards in South Korea. To comply with the existing requirements, South Korean households tend to have one designated person who is responsible for recycling the domestic waste.