Garbage Disposal

Garbage in Korea, both solid and compostable, is not covered by municipal taxes and requires special methods for disposal. In addition, recycling is highly encouraged (pickup is free) and requires separation. Finally, there are specific locations for disposing of potentially toxic items such as batteries and florescent and compact florescent bulbs and tubes.

Solid Waste

Waste must be bagged in official district (that is, Gu or Myeon political districts) garbage bags. Colours vary by location but are mostly green across Daejeon. Bags come in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 liter sizes. These bags may be purchased at your local corner store or some larger retailers such as Emart, HomePlus and similar places. If you buy bags at a large retailer, ensure they are for the district where you will be disposing of the bags. Bags from one district will not be collected in another. These bags are called ??????. Ask for the size and quantity you need. For example, “5 20-liter garbage bags, please” is: “????? ?????? ??? ???.”

Oversized Items

For items too large for the official garbage bags, go to your local dong office and get a disposal sticker. You will have to describe the item and pay for it by size. Have these details ready when you arrive.

Items in good condition may be sent to the local recycling office or an appointment made with the Beautiful Store for pickup of certain items.

Food Waste

Food waste is disposed of in small household buckets (usually red and 5L in size) collected almost daily. Large apartment complexes may have larger rolling bins for residents. If you live in a small apartment (Villa or Jutaek), you will need to purchase a sticker for your food garbage bin (and possibly the bin at a local market or supermarket). Stickers are currently 1,500 won per month. Like the garbage bags, they are district-specific and will not be collected outside of the designated area.

Recycling

Recylable waste should be separated from other garbage and put in either a clear bag or other bag where the contents are visible. Shopping bags seem to be widely accepted. Items are picked up several times each week and should be clean and dry when disposed of.

Special Disposal

Items such as CFB (compact florescent bulbs), florescent tubes and batteries cannot be disposed of in regular garbage as they pose hazards to both the environment and sanitation workers. These items can be disposed of at your local Dong Office. Look for a large white box, often with blue drawers labeled with icons of light bulbs and batteries.