Price of trash bags to go up in stages

Seoul announced Tuesday that it will increase the price for standard plastic garbage bags in two stages, once in 2015 and again in 2017, up 36 percent and 56 percent, respectively.

The extra revenue from the extra cost will be used to improve dilapidated city cleaning vehicles and garbage trucks.

According to the city’s announcement, the price will go up next year and in 2017. The price of a single 20-liter garbage bag will increase by 74 won (about 7 cents) next year and by another 55 won in 2017, bringing the total cost up to 472 won - a 36 percent increase in the current price.

The price of 2-liter food garbage bag will increase by 13 won next year and 54 won in 2017, bring the total cost up to 157 won - a 56 percent increase in the current price.

The current price of 20-liter garbage bags in Seoul is 363 won, which is 80 percent of the national average cost and just 58 percent of those sold in metropolitan cities. The city estimated the price change will bring the additional financial expenses for a four-member household to 517 won a month and 6,204 won per year.

This marks the first increase in the price of plastic garbage bags since 1995, when the city first implemented the policy to use standardized, neighborhood-specific bags.

The initiative was aimed at reducing the amount of garbage and promoting recycling.

BY PARK YUNA [ypc3c@joongang.co.kr]