Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Waste disposal rules in English and Arabic
For English and Arab-speaking residents living in Yongsan district, the town office is distributing detailed guidelines in their languages on dealing with garbage, the district announced yesterday. Despite local rules that mandate separating food waste from regular garbage in designated plastic bags, the district said many foreigners were unaware of them."We also had problems levying fines on them because they did not understand," said an official from the Yongsan district. The guidelines will explain how different garbage should be treated -- food trash should be collected in "yellow food bags," available in grocery stores, while old furniture disposal requires declaring it to the town office first. Yongsan reaches from Huam-dong to Hannam-dong and has nearly 3,000 residents from English or Arabic speaking countries.
JoongAng Daily (May 23, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200505/23/200505232234303309900090409041.html

[Captain Corea]

honestly, I think this is a good plan. So many foreigners here simply "do not know the rules" when it comes to throwing out the trash. it doesn't help that they often follow their neighbors in their bad habits too.

The problem is that foreigners are often a transient community. Rules should be posted every so often to give the new ones information about guidelines.

[Real Reality]

What if the garbage collector does not follow the rules?

[peemil]

You know it's true. I had all this stuff here. Everytime I'd bring it down on recycling day the Ajunazi's would get all cranky with me. I was doing exactly as they were. It's was like my garbage wasn't good enough.

Eventually the back room just turned into a recycling depot. Cardboard and especially beer bottles. I just loaded up the car, found one of those guys with the push carts with a little shed nearby, knocked on his door, bought him over to the car and opened the boot.

I've never seen eyes bigger.

I said. "You want this stuff. I've got a shit load."

Problem solved. Waste goes in yellow bags, recycling goes to the old guy.

[Gollum]

When in doubt, throw the bag on the curb down the street, next to the cranky ajumma's stuff. Just make sure your name isn't on any of the trash or reciepts.

[paperbag princess]

it's easy, yellow for food, special white for trash that can't be recycled and everything else goes in emart bags, usually sorted (like, one for paper, one for wine bottles etc...).

[Koreabound2004]

In my small town, burning trash seems to be the norm.


I use the white bags for everything except recyclables....they go in old grocery bags and are put outside, to be sorted by our building staff.


Nobody seems to mind, and if they ever start to mind, I will just pitch it all in my neighbours stinkin bonfire.

[Real Reality]

What if the garbage collector does not follow the rules?