Garbage Bags
Overview
Garbage bags are bags used to contain, collect, and transport municipal waste discharged from homes and businesses, and in Korea they became a key means of the volume-based waste fee system implemented nationwide in 1995. Since the price of the bag includes collection, transport, and treatment costs, it is an institutional mechanism that implements the 'polluter pays principle,' under which costs are borne in proportion to the amount discharged. Beyond a simple consumer product, it is a symbolic item that simultaneously reflects local governments' waste policies and finances and citizens' separated discharge culture.
Main Content
Definition and Types
Volume-based fee bags for municipal waste are largely divided into household (general) and business use. Capacities vary slightly by region, including 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L, 30L, 50L, 60L, 75L, and 100L, and colors distinguish uses. Generally, white or translucent bags are used for general (non-combustible) waste, yellow tones for food waste, green tones for recyclables or food waste, and public-purpose large sacks for street cleaning. Because each local government has different color and size regulations, residents who move frequently often experience confusion.
Background of Introduction of Volume-Based Fee System
The background was rapidly increasing waste in the early 1990s, shortage of landfills in the Seoul metropolitan area, and rising collection and treatment costs. After a pilot implementation in 1994, it was implemented nationwide on January 1, 1995, creating a structure in which dischargers pay treatment costs by purchasing bags. Since implementation, it has been generally assessed that municipal waste generation has significantly decreased and separated discharge of recyclables has increased.
Pricing and Sales Structure
Bag prices are set by local government ordinances and reflect collection, transport, and treatment costs, bag manufacturing costs, sales commissions, etc. Sales take place at designated sales outlets (convenience stores, marts, supermarkets, etc.), and a certain commission is paid to the outlets. Revenue from bag sales is used as a financial resource for waste treatment, making it an important revenue item in local governments' waste administration. Price increases are directly linked to resident backlash, so local governments are cautious, and public hearings or ordinance amendment procedures are often required.
Material and Specifications
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE) materials are mainly used. Recently, bags mixed with biodegradable resins (PLA, PBAT, etc.) or products with a higher proportion of recycled raw materials are increasing. Specifications are set by KS standards and local government notices, and tensile strength, thickness, printed markings (local government name, capacity, discharge days, precautions), etc. are regulated. Manufacturing or selling counterfeit bags or similar bags is subject to punishment.
Relationship with Separated Discharge
Recyclable resources must not be put in volume-based fee bags. PET bottles, cans, paper, vinyl, etc. must be separated and discharged, and food waste must use dedicated bags or containers. Large waste (furniture, home appliances, etc.) requires purchasing and attaching a separate sticker. Non-combustible waste (ceramics, glass, flower pots, etc.) is discharged in large sacks or separate bags according to local regulations. Weight and volume limits for what can be put in bags are also set by region.
Legal Basis and Fines
The legal basis is the Waste Management Act and each local government's waste management ordinance. Fines may be imposed for illegal dumping, failure to separate discharge, use of non-standard bags, etc., and enforcement officers, CCTV, and a reporting reward system are operated. Recently, enforcement using mobile CCTV and video analysis technology is expanding.
Recent Trends
In 2024–2025, changes are clear as carbon neutrality and resource circulation policies intersect. First, as the mandatory use of recycled raw materials is strengthened through restrictions on single-use plastic bags and amendments to the Resource Recycling Act, demands are growing to increase the proportion of recycled plastic used in volume-based fee bags. Second, as RFID-based food waste volume-rate meters spread, demand for food-only bags is decreasing and a per-household charging system is becoming established. Third, local governments are continuing to raise bag prices and redesign designs, and attempts to improve sorting efficiency continue after mandatory separated discharge of transparent PET bottles. Fourth, experiments in 'discharge without bags,' such as introducing colorless, single-material bags, shared collection bins, and day-of-week discharge, are underway in some regions. Fifth, local cases combining reduction point systems with unmanned collection machine reward systems are increasing. However, the actual decomposition conditions of biodegradable bags and compatibility issues with existing recycling processes remain controversial, and criticism continues that bag price increases lead to burdens on ordinary people.
Related Topics
- [[Volume-Based Waste Fee System]]
- [[Separated Discharge]]
- [[Waste Management Act]]
- [[Recycling]]
- [[Food Waste]]
- [[Resource Circulation]]
- [[Carbon Neutrality]]