Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mindmetoo]

Gather round, kids.

Apparently Seoul used to be a model of public trash cans. One on every corner. One mid way between every corner. Of course civilians could toss their trash out for free. Life was good.

And then the government, like so many governments grappling with growing amounts of trash and flat tax revenues, decided that maybe it should start charging citizens a per bag rate. Not much. A couple dimes a bag. Recycling is free, of course. And nearly everything on the grocery store shelves in Korea can be recycled. So the theory was the ever frugal ajummas of Korea would start taking a long hard look at what they were throwing out if it was going to cost them a penny per liter of trash.

Here we have your basic per fee bag:



The fast food industry has certainly heeded the call toward recycling:



Your paper goes in one trash slot, your plastic in another, your drink cups get stacked up. There's even a cistern for your ice and left over beverage. As a foreigner still used to there being landfills o' plenty in the Canadian shield and domestic fast food industry ready to fill it, you tend to find this recycle station a bit confusing. You're going to mess it up and cause the guy working there for the legally mandated $3 an hour (which he has to kick back $1 to his boss) additional work. So don't be surprised if someone comes bounding over to you and takes your tray and just does it for you. I love these people.

But we come back to the public response. Pay for trash? Why pay when there are still all these public trash cans mere steps away? Public means free. So instead of paying for trash bags, ever industrious ajummas started dumping trash in the public cans. Ha. Take that! How dare a nation with an income tax rate of 4% actually ask citizens to pay for this service now?

Anyway, the government responded by simply removing trash cans from the public landscape. The public, I think, never quite got the message. I think they've convinced themselves the government has merely redesigned public trashcans to look more like things we in the west term "not a public trash can but something wholly useful for another purpose, like a baby carriage".

So if you find you have an empty Pokari Sweat bottle, chocolate bar wrapper, alkaline battery, whatever, to get rid of and you can't find what we understand as a trash can, follow this basic rule of trash disposal:

"If your trash can go in it, on it, or under it, and it is not your personal property, and someone with a low paid job will eventually have to come along and clean/service/water/refill/repave/nail down/polish/weed/mow/mop/tile the thing or area, it is, for all intents and purposes, a public trash receptacle."



When they're not doing road work under the summer sun, old Korean women are more than happy to haul away the trash you drop at your feet as you walk. Don't give it a second thought. They'd just be at home enjoying life with their grandkids.

So, beyond all means, do not be troubled to hang onto your garbage for disposal in your own trash or something labeled with odd candor "waste". For example you will find these in every subway station:



I mean, you might be more than 5 minutes away from a subway station and a trash can. Why would you force yourself to carry around some trash when you could immediately use one of the following:

A garbage tree:



When you think about it, trees are real layabouts. No get up 'n' go. They sit there, day and night, sucking up water. Anyway, it only makes perfect sense that trees should start earning their keep by doubling as convenient garbage cans.


Unfortunately, not all trees are courteous enough to provide a place where you can wedge your fast food disposables. No problem. Just place your trash at the base of the tree. Notice how the decorative iron work around the tree base offers an obvious and inviting receptacle for wrapper waste. Anyway, someone will eventually come along to water that tree. He will be happy to haul away your garbage.

A garbage bush:



For those who find the sight of trash unpleasing, you can always find a nice bush to cram your trash behind. Truly environmental types also make sure to match the plastic with the foliage:




Trash receptacles by acclaim:



Sometimes you just need to get it done. Someone needs to take the lead. Some brave citizen needs to take a stand and say "I'm not going to carry this trash another step. This spot of land shall be my trash. This spot of land where someone Korean has no doubt spilled his blood to keep this land for Koreans I'm going to turn into a public dump. This rectangular thingy that might otherwise serve as a planter for green growing stuff makes a good trash can." The rectangular thingy that might otherwise serve as a planter for green growing stuff gets pressed into service as a trash can. Everyone is happy, especially the guy who has to come along eventually and plant something there.

Private gardens:




Why dump your trash in your own garden when people along busy public streets are kind enough to provide a garden for your trash?

Rocks:



Rock walls, rock gardens. They all add a natural, traditional feel to any public space. They also provide convenient nooks and crannies to wedge in your trash.



Alternatively, they also provide a flat, stable platform to leave your waste and draw immediate attention that someone better get on cleaning up after you.


Stairwells:



Since they're only used by a) health nuts (given the number of smokers here, that means .01% of the population) b) people trying to escape a fire (never gonna happen), why not just dump your trash in the stairwell of your building or (better) the building someone else lives in. Those floors have to be mopped once a year anyway. That person will be more than happy to have the extra duty of trash removal.

Mail slots:



Granted these puppies can fill up quick. But they're at arm level and don't require you to actually bend over.

Any form of receptacle:



If it looks like a trash can, quacks like a trash can, and free newspapers can't go in until the trash is cleared out, dump 'er there.

Storm drains:

Storm drains are probably the best solution for garbage disposal as a) they're everywhere (unlike trees and private gardens) b) they are environmentally friendly as the trash disappears from sight. Now, you have to understand there's a right way and a wrong way to use drains:

The wrong way:



As you can see the trash is too big for the grate. If you're going to try and use the storm drain, then a) make sure your trash will fit b) if it will fit in one aspect, then make sure you orient the trash in the proper aspect before disposal. Next is the proper usage of the storm drain trash removal sytem:



As you can see each piece of trash is small enough to enter the grate and drop off into the magic world of tinker woo woo where Tangun and King Sejong clap their hands with glee for the great advances the Korean people have made since ancient times when they just threw all their garbage in streams and rivers.

Now, don't worry that the person doing the disposal hasn't actually managed to get the trash down the drain. The bulk of the intelligent work has been done. You just got to get the trash near it. Korea's voluminous rains will do the rest and wash away those cigarette butts and penny candy trash.

The horse shoes theory:

As we say "close is only good in a game of horse shoes". In Korea, it goes "close meh".



As noted above the truly concerned citizen will retain his trash for proper disposal in provided trash and recycling bins. These are usually found in subway stations. So here we have a citizen doing his proper duty and putting trash where it belongs. Oh wait, you say, a subway turnstile still doesn't seem like an actual trash can. Well, no, but let's turn around 180 degrees. See look, merely 4 steps away from that turnstile is a proper trash can.



See? It's not a 3 pointer but whatever. Close enough. Geez. Don't be such a hard ass on these people. They've got Americans (poisoning the pristine waters of the Han river) and Chinese (yellow sand!) to hate and blame for their pollution problems.

Apartment complex planters:



Why should things only serve the function to beautify? Why can't they also be used to dump your waste? And really, who has time to eat and find a trash can? These are busy people.

The back of a Bongo pickup truck:



One of these is guaranteed to run down and kill a member of your family eventually. Why not make them work for you before they rob you of a loved one?

[pest2]

Thank you. Good laughs and quite informative.

[monkinwonderland]

Amazing

[jg]

Thats one of the best PSA I've ever seen. If only you could add sound to it.

Okay, could you please address those who believe that if they didn't litter, trash pickers and sanitation specialists would have nothing to do, and be out of work? More visuals too, i think pictures get the attention of those who might be scared of mere words.

A+!!!

[IncognitoHFX]

HAHAHAHAHA. Oh man. That was riotous.

Yes, and the standards for home-garbage are so high I can even begin to understand why stuff ends up on the street. My landlord has complained about us and threatened to evict us a few times because our garbage wasn't *perfect*. We don't even know what perfect is. When we think we have it right, we get complained about again.

[ChopChaeJoe]

Good work. Thoughtful.

[PeterDragon]

The REAL mistake the Korean government made was making trash bags a commodity one tangibly has to pay for, IMHO. I think they should have simply upped income tax a little. If everyone's automatically paying for trash disposal out of their checks, there's not "free disposal" loophole.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Great post.

'Where's the rubbish bin? / You're looking at it' has to be one of the quintessential newbie / long-termer conversation starters.

[knee-highs]

Another boring photo essay from a man with too much free-time. Why not post pictures of things that are nice instead of constantly pointing fingers?


By the way, pasta in a waffle cone tastes great!

[SPINOZA]

[mindmetoo]

[mindmetoo]

[KimchiExplosion]

Great post.

[knee-highs]

[blaseblasphemener]

I thought only expats pay 4% tax here. Isn't the tax rate for Koreans much higher? That's what I've been told by Koreans.