[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]The fate of waste
I am an expat who has been living in Korea for a year and a half and have been wondering about recycling in the country. I am an avid supporter of recycling and doing things to keep the planet clean and safe for future generations. When I lived in the United States, we recycled only cans, bottles, plastic and newspaper.My parents who live 10 minutes away recycled magazines and cardboard in addition to what my town required. When I came to Korea, I disposed of trash like I did in the United States, which was no problem because the garbage was picked up however it was bagged. Then we moved, and what a shock it was to find out there were so many rules about trash; food disposal minus bones and shells, paper ― not just newspaper but all kinds of paper, even cereal boxes, paper egg cartons and paper trays, and most surprising of all were packaged food bags!
Everyday I try to separate and categorize garbage the best I can, but I want to know what is the whole process of recycling. What happens to the trash? Where does it go, who processes it, and what does it become? Could you do an article on this topic? I am sure it would be fascinating reading especially to foreigners who did not process garbage the Korean way.
by Jeanie Cho
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)