Recycling

Recycling in Korea is more than just a "feel good" act, it can cost you money. Many foreigners have been fined for throwing away recycleables. On that note, I'm glad my "family" helped me move in and could give me the heads up about the system. First, there are specific garbage bags for city neighborhoods... they have tons of writing on them and even bar codes! The smaller ones are a little less than a dollar a piece, which initially I thought was expensive for a garbage bag. Then I realized that with all the recycling, a single person living alone doesn't accumulate much waste. My apartment complex has large containers for glass, paper, styrofoam, plastic bottles/containers, plastic bags, cans, etc. Even specific containers for food waste. So, I'm proud to announce that after being here for 6 weeks I have just thrown out my first garbage bag- and it wasn't even completely full! It's a small garbage bag as well... I'm amazed at how much waste is saved by this recycling program here. Well done Korea!