Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sunday7]

What's the deal with trash? I just got to South Korea a few days ago and I forgot to ask. As far as I know, I have to buy special trash bags...but that's about as much as I know.

Thanks!

[valkerie]

I think it really depends on where you live (area and specific apartment building.) Both places I have lived in have someone sort through it so people tend (mostly) to throw it all into any old bag and dump it at the entrance door.

I am used to sorting things (7 years in Japan made me that way), so I still automatically do it, but I think it is still opened and gone though anyhow. (Gross job to have!).

Is there anyone in the bulding you can ask?

[sojourner1]

Yes, in Changwon, we have blue bags for trash which is for things that are not drink containers or cardboards nor garbage and then we have yellow bags for garbage such as bones and food gone bad. You can put your bottles and jugs in a large shopping bag and then put your cardboards in another bag after flattening them. If you drink glass bottles of beer, put them all in a large shopping bag too and set out near the walkway entrance. My land lady inspects and goes through all the bags, except the small blue and yellow bags we buy. Many larger apartments have large bin containers or dumpsters, while in small places, you just set it on the side of the walk way entrance.

[lsrupert]

I live in Seoul, and I have to sort my trash. One bag for plastic, one bag for paper, one bag for glass/metals, and styrafoam is on it's own. Buy a bag for food trash, and a different bag for any leftover trash. We then have further instructions, that the trash can only be put out on certain days, and we can only take it out after 6 pm. What a pain. I understand recycling, and support it, but couldn't it be done in an easier way???

[sunday7]

Thanks...this was very helpful. What a complicated system! On the plus side, it appears as though we only have one colour.

[Zark]

It really does depend on your apartment building and how they do it. And, how much they enjoy hassling foreigners.

Mine was such a hassle that for a while I just threw my trash bags in my trunk and dumped them at the university when I went to work.

Twas okay for the local folks to dump their stuff just outside the door to the building, but when the foreigner did it . . . well, you know the story.

[crazy_arcade]

Different buildings do it differently.

My place has different bins for different recyclables. Trash bags go in special bags and my place doesn't reuse food waste. A lot buildings will expect you to separate food waste though.

At the grocery store you can get a shopping bag that doubles as a garbage bag. Ask for "chong lyang jae Bong-du"

Does anyone know about recycling cooking oil?

[Matilda]

^ Our apt complex has drums set up for the cooking oil.

I actually avoid going to 'recycling night' which is every Wednesday for 1.5 hrs... miss this by 15 minutes and you have to listen to a lecture about democracy from the security guard in Korean (my Korean bf is very patient!).

The recycling adjummas in charge of the Wed night production are hell. Reminds me of the 'soup Nazi' on Seinfeld. I keep thinking I should go down and video tape their antics.

For example, they snatch HDPE plastic and tell you it is not PE (which it is in the same family). We have to sort into HDPE, PE, PP etc and then they decide to switch things around to suit their fuzzy logic.

Also, they got a little bitter about recycling a pie tin, until they were convinced it was aluminium... we then had to cut it into small pieces with scissors to dispose of it

Life was so much easier in a villa. Dump the recycling into shopping bags on the street and they would disappear during the night.

[confused and upset]

Can you ask a co-worker for help in figuring out the system in your building? Is there a security guard? If you don't know any Korean yet, ask a co-worker to write a note for the convenience store clerk (so you'll be able to purchase garbage bags).