Chuseok is a Critical Point... Will a 'Garbage Crisis' Occur?

Household Waste in the First Half of This Year Surges 11.1% Compared to Last Year
Plastic Prices Fall Due to Economic Downturn... Recycling Companies Face 'Double Hardship'
Concerns Over 'Garbage Crisis' Reemerging if Waste Surges After Chuseok

On the 21st of last month, recyclable waste was piled up at the recycling sorting center in Buk-gu, Gwangju. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] With the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the use of delivery and food delivery services has increased, leading to a surge in packaging waste. There are concerns that a 'waste crisis' could occur after Chuseok. Local governments' waste landfill facilities are already saturated, and if Chuseok gift deliveries become more active, disposable waste could increase significantly.

Disposable waste output surged during the first half of this year. After COVID-19, non-face-to-face (untact) consumption such as online shopping and food delivery became established, greatly increasing the use of packaging materials like plastic, vinyl, and paper.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the volume of living logistics parcel deliveries from January to August reached 2,160.34 million units, a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. Accordingly, household waste in the first half of this year (January to June) also rose by 11.1% to 5,349 tons compared to the same period last year. In particular, the increase rates for paper (23.9%), plastic (15.6%), and vinyl (11.1%) used as packaging materials for parcel delivery items were notable.

Parcel delivery volume is also expected to increase significantly during this Chuseok period. Due to concerns about regional COVID-19 infections, instead of traveling directly to their hometowns during the holiday, it is anticipated that 'untact Chuseok' will be activated, where gifts purchased through online shopping are sent by parcel delivery.

On the afternoon of the 28th, two days before the Chuseok holiday, citizens continued to visit a large supermarket in Seongdong-gu, Seoul to do their shopping. / Photo by Yonhap News

According to data compiled by the online delivery company 'eBay Korea' from the 14th to the 23rd, sales performance in the week before this year's Chuseok increased by 17% compared to the same period last year and surged by 43% compared to three years ago. This means that consumers preparing Chuseok gifts via online parcel delivery have increased significantly compared to before.

As a result, concerns have emerged that a 'waste crisis' could be repeated after Chuseok.

The waste crisis first arose in 2018 when China banned the import of waste such as plastics. Waste generated domestically could not be sent to China and accumulated within the country, causing prices of waste paper and waste plastics to plummet. Consequently, domestic recycling companies, unable to generate sufficient profits through waste collection and reprocessing, abandoned waste collection.

On the 24th, sorting work of recyclable waste such as plastics discharged from each household was underway at the Busan City Resource Recycling Center in Gangseo-gu, Busan. / Photo by Yonhap News

In this regard, it has been pointed out that waste treatment facilities in metropolitan areas and other local governments have already reached their limits. According to the Ministry of Environment and Gyeonggi Province on the 13th, household waste in the province during the first half of this year averaged 4,705 tons per day, a roughly 9% surge compared to the same period last year.

In particular, disposable items used as food packaging have surged, causing landfill sites to reach saturation. Waste contaminated with food residues requires additional processes such as washing, which incurs extra costs.

The global recycled waste market outlook is also as bleak as during the previous 'waste crisis.' As the global economy suffered a major blow from COVID-19 and international oil prices plummeted, the price of plastics made from crude oil also sharply declined due to the resulting ripple effect. For waste collection companies whose profitability depends on waste plastic prices, this has created a double burden.

Environmental experts emphasized the need to establish a systematic system for recycling resources to reduce waste output.

The private environmental organization 'Resource Circulation Solidarity' stated in a commentary released on the 16th, "If disposable products continue to be used recklessly like now, the entire country could be covered with plastic waste. Urgent action is needed." They suggested, "Only when the government, local governments, companies, and consumers adopt consumption, production, and sales behaviors suited to the untact era will there be a sustainable tomorrow."

As examples of a resource circulation system suitable for the untact era, the Solidarity proposed ▲establishing a joint collection system ▲developing recyclable containers ▲building systems to promote the use of recyclables by delivery companies.

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