Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MA_TESOL]

before Iived in a place where we just threw our trash downstairs and the landlady sorted it out for us...it was very easy, but I moved. Now I have been in this area full of rules and a definite learning curve. I learned by asking local people I knew. First, yellow bags for food, white bags for general trash and big blue bags for recyclables. Through observation I learned to put my trash out on Tuesday nights and to take my recyclables down by the store on Wednesdays, Saturdays or Sundays where some ajammas sorted through it all. Now, however, there is a big sign that says we can not do that anymore or we will be fined 1,000,000 Won. That we have to place the recyclables in front of our house between 6PM and 4AM. Well, I did this and no one picked it up so it was sitting there after 4AM. Am I vulnerable for the fine because no one came to pick it up? This d_mn trash thing has cause me nothing but anxiety. I have never been anywhere where disposing of trash had such a big learning curve.

[sineface]

I feel your pain. I live in rubbish hell, my head swarming with 16 different types of white plastic bottle and ALWAYS rudely being told I put my white plastic bottle in the wrong white plastic bottle bin. My best advice, do your best, and f*ck what they have to say about anything else[/i]

[losing_touch]

Well, I can't help you sort it out, but I can provide you with moral support. The trash system here is an odd thing. It took me some time to sort it out myself. I am not sure I have it completely figured out in over a month. To make matters worse, our trash bags are a different color than other teachers who live in another area of town! They have it much worse than I do.

They must put their trash in the appropriate bag obtained at a local mom and pop shop. I must do the same (a pink one). They have another bag for recyclables. Personally, I just put my bottles or pizza boxes on the curb or in a larger box and someone else sorts it out. I have no idea who does this! They also must use a composting bin. In my little area, only a handful of people do this. I have completely ignored this requirement. For other teachers I know, they must comply with this. Some adjummas go through their trash whenever they take it out. If something is wrong, they deliver it back to their door! They are truly being stalked!!!

My solution is to just watch the street. When I see pink bags on the street, off my trash goes. When I see recyclables, off they go as well.

Others I know have resorted to what we jokingly call the "midnight trash run" by taking their stuff a few blocks away and dropping it off. Some do this because they think the cost of the bags is crazy. I admit that I am not overly keep on spending 1500 won on a plastic bag. However, I thought about the system a bit. It seems to make sense. This system funds the trash service. I don't pay anything other than the cost of these bags. Furthermore, and more importantly, the system provides an economic incentive to be mindful of your trash disposal.

The flaw with the system is that it discourages all waste. That is to say that throwing away the bones from a chicken I have cooked last night is the same as throwing away an empty packet used to make whatever. Well, those chicken bones don't present any problems for the environment. However, that plastic/aluminum concoction I use to make nacho dip is not nearly as biodegradable.

To make matters worse, my chicken bones and cooking byproducts smell a lot worse. Ok, so there is incentive to use the composting method. The problem is that they also stink. On top of that you have to pay for it! My understanding is that the composting stuff is processed into pig food or something. So, I get the pleasure of paying to have some smelly bin in home for some farmer to get subsidized food for their livestock. Here is an economic disincentive.

They should fix it!

[aphase]

that's happened to me with the sign before at the place i used to live at. It said there was a camera watching. I looked all over and there was no camera, and people continued to throw their garbage there so i just did the same. Sometimes I wonder if the government is really putting those signs there or if people are just buying them and putting them near their house or business to keep people from throwing garbage too close to their place.

[schwa]

Not sure if its the same in other cities but in mine everyone diligently sorts their recyclables then when the truck comes round they all get thrown together again (glass, plastic, metal, paper) in the back of a compactor truck.

[matthews_world]

[pokesplort]

yeah i'm having trouble with it as well. but as far as i can see the people in my building could care less about it and just throw it all down there. or maybe i'm just not picking up on any themes. i'm sure they can all tell who the dumb foreigner is cuz she cant figure out the trash. i'm really trying! i like to recycle and i want to, but america does not prepare you for this. geez back home its not surprising for people to look at you strange if you're like, "where's your plastic and paper bin?" not everyone of course but still. i bought a food bucket just to keep some of the flies from breeding. i managed to shut them down but i still know i'm doing it all wrong!crazy trash system!

[sineface]

[EricaSmile84]

The crappy thing is that the trash rules vary from city to city and apartment to apartment. My friend lives in an Office-tel and there is a huge dumpster area that you just throw your trash whenever you want. I live in a small building and it's totally not like that. For a while on "paper days" I put all paper in one bag and put it downstairs... little did I know that the ajussi was sorting through it, which was quite embarrassing. So now I just put my "difficult" trash (plastic bags with food stuck to it, ramen cups or anything stinky) in black plastic bags and then put it in the trash bags on food nights. Food night also allows "bathroom" trash and is not sorted.

For any other weird trash moments, I just take it to the subway station and dump it in that trash bin. I will be happy to be able to go back to America and not have to deal with this trash stuff.

[elavndrc]

A tip for the compost...I keep the bag in my freezer so it just freezes everything. That way I can save from having to throw out the bag everyday and fill it up as I see it.

[saw6436]

I have always tried to follow the recycling rules here. When we moved to our new place the first thing we asked about was the recycling program and how we can comply with it.

Then, about 3 months ago, I read about the K Govts handling of food waste. Seems it costs them W14,000 a ton to process the waste into livestock food and/or fertilizer. It only costs W7,000 a ton to dump it into the Sea of Japan. Guess where 800,000 tons of food waste waste last year. No I just don't give a damn about heir recycling progrm. If Korea needs its waste seperated they can have convicts do it.

[T-J]

You guys crack me up. Four years of college and you can't figure out how to throw away trash.

That's rich. Why don't you just ask for some help. Oh never mind. Blame the Koreans for being to obtuse.

Please don't stop this thread, it is way too entertaining.

[Straphanger]

[thatwhitegirl]

[T-J]