Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sakamuras]

Too many times, I'm stuck holding an empty coffee cup or soda can, searching for a waste bin while walking in Seoul.

Although I see the locals just leave it on a ledge somewhere, where it will magically disappear by next morning, I guess my litter-free inner-self keeps me from engaging in such practices.

Anyone know what the deal is with the lack of public trash bins?

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

I guess since people are required to buy pre-paid garbage bags, the concern is too many people will go "midnight dumping" on public garbage bins.

[Snake Doctor]

There were tons of public trash bins around Seoul in the 90's, but around 2000 they were taken away because people would leave bags of trash around them, not in them (overflow) and they caused an eyesore.

The street sweepers come around in the early morning hours and pick up trash. I guess they figured it's better to do it that way and hope people take their trash home with them - but they don't. Old habits die hard.

[ChinaBoy]

When in Rome... dump all your trash out in the streets.. and then wonder why you shoes are so dirty you have to take them off before entering your house

[flakfizer]

There are plenty of public garbage bins in Korea. There's Seoul, Daegu, Incheon...

OK, that was a bit mean, but there is a trash problem and I recall an article in one of the papers here where a mom saw her boy litter, had him pick up the piece of trash he threw down, and him carry it until they came to a bin. She wanted to show him that it is no hassle to hold on to your trash until you come to a trash bin. She said they didn't come to one until after 2 hours of walking.

[kiwiduncan]

If I've got my man-bag with me I just put my rubbish in it (often inside a plastic bag) then take it home with me.

On a related note, I understand the Lee Myung Bak administration overturned the 50w deposit law for takeaway coffee cups etc a couple of years ago in an effort to revive the economy but are some businesses still operating a cup deposit/fund system?

[bassexpander]

[crossmr]

many koreans say they're worried about bombs. most subway stations I've been in have at least one garbage can.

[bassexpander]

[dalem]

Yeah, i never fully did understand what's with the 'paying for garbage bags' thing. Is it like a tax for garbage that takes up room in the landfill? I can see that landfill being GIGANTIC, with a large city like Seoul. What do they do with all that garbage??? If it's a tax, i can understand it. I don't understand why people protested that tax... it seems logical to me?

[GoldMember]

I think its brilliant!. Garbage is dropped on ground, garbage eventualy is washed down storm water drains. Garbage ends up in ocean. Washes up on beaches in Japan and China.
That will teach those pesky Chinese and Japanese.

[chris_J2]

[saw6436]

I don't mind paying for garbage bags. What pisses me off is the "food recyling" and all the work involved with that. It costs the K govt' , W14,000 per ton to process the food waste into animal feed and fertilizer. It costs them W7,000 a ton to dump it into the Sea of Japan. Something like 800,000 tons were dumped last year alone.

After reading about that, I just take a f**k-em attitude. my recycling days are over. I dump my trash in the general area set aside by our apt complex. I never separate it.

Can't figure out why K doesn't use prisoners to sort garbage like is done in my home state. Gives the convicts something to do. Saves John Q Public time and energy. Saves the govt' money. Win-win for everyone.

[kg2095]

[crossmr]