"Do You Have to Throw It Away Like That?" Beverage Cup Litter Scattered Across the Streets 'Frowning' [Reporter Han Goes]

Beverage Cup Trash Scattered Across Busy Streets in Seoul
Containers Still Holding Coffee or Drinks Causing Foul Odors
Civilians Complain of "Selfishness Only Thinking of Themselves"
Sanitation Workers Urge "Please Dispose of Trash in Bins"

Discarded beverage cups litter the streets throughout a busy area in Seoul. Some still contain coffee or drinks, causing various unpleasant odors and attracting insects, which made onlookers frown in disapproval. Photo by Han Seunggon hsg@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han] "There are trash cans, so I really don't understand why people do that."

With the recent hot weather increasing the consumption of coffee and beverages, some people are throwing away their drinks on the streets, causing frustration among onlookers. Sanitation workers are urging people to dispose of their trash properly in the bins.

On the afternoon of the 18th, beverage cups were scattered all over a busy area in Seoul. Some cups still contained coffee or drinks, attracting insects and causing unpleasant odors, along with other trash accumulating around the discarded beverages.

Someone illegally discarded a beverage cup trash in front of a store in a busy area of Seoul. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

A man in his 30s, identified as office worker A, met near a bus stop, said, "I think people throw them away like that because there’s nowhere to dispose of the drinks, but I wonder if it was really necessary to do it that way." He added, "It must be very hard for the people who clean this place."

Another office worker in his 40s, B, said, "If you’re done, you can just hold onto it and throw it in the trash bin. It’s a simple thing, but people do it for their own convenience," raising his voice, "They are not conscientious."

Beverage cup trash dumped on an electric facility. The container still contains the beverage. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

As citizens pointed out, discarded beverage cups were easily seen all over the streets. Some people left them right in front of stores, while others threw cans containing drinks on electrical equipment, creating a dangerous situation that could lead to accidents.

In another alley, some left their discarded drinks in front of other people’s houses. Unauthorized dumping of beverage cup trash under streetlights, near crosswalks, and on streets showed no regard for time or place.

An abandoned beverage cup in front of a residence in an alleyway in Seoul. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

Although the frequency of such illegal dumping is decreasing, someone still continues to throw trash everywhere. According to Seoul City, over the past three years (2017?2019), the number of illegal dumping cases monitored by district offices were △118,229 in 2017 △120,558 in 2018 △132,625 in 2019, with over 100,000 cases monitored each year.

The public’s view on this is not favorable. Park, a self-employed person in his 40s who sells coffee and other beverages in a busy area, said, "It’s nice to see customers carrying their drinks, but sometimes I see people leaving their drinks on the street," pointing out, "Many people don’t seem to think it’s a big deal, but one piece of trash like that makes the street dirty."

Discarded beverage trash on a promotional device at a business establishment in a busy area of Seoul. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

At a bus stop in Seoul, a discarded beverage cup is left behind. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

Citizens also expressed disbelief. C, a man in his 50s met in the Jongno area, said, "Everyone knows to throw trash in the trash can," adding, "We all learned that in school, so I don’t understand why people throw trash all over the streets."

D, a job seeker in his 20s, said, "It seems like they just eat and throw it away, but they could hold onto it and throw it in a trash can near their home or any installed trash bin. It feels like selfishness where they only think about themselves."

A sanitation worker also expressed frustration. Kim, a sanitation worker in his 50s, said, "If people just threw their trash in the bins, the streets would be clean," adding, "It’s really tough to deal with discarded drinks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.