From 2026, Direct Landfilling of Household Waste in Volume-Based Bags Will Be Prohibited in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

Ministry of Environment Announces Legislative Notice for Amendment of Subordinate Laws of the 'Waste Management Act'
Only Residues from Incineration or Recycling Processes Allowed for Landfill

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Ju Sang-don] From 2026, direct landfill of household waste contained in volume-based waste bags will be prohibited in the Seoul metropolitan area. Only residues generated after incineration or recycling processes will be allowed for landfill.

The Ministry of Environment announced on the 4th that it will issue a legislative notice for 40 days from the 5th to March 17th regarding the amendment of the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the 'Waste Management Act' containing these provisions.

According to the amendment, direct landfill of household waste in volume-based waste bags will be prohibited in the metropolitan area starting in 2026, while regions outside the metropolitan area will apply the regulation from 2030, considering the time required to expand incineration facilities.

The amendment reflects concerns over significant amounts of combustible household waste being directly landfilled, causing landfill shortages and environmental pollution. Only impurities and residues (excluding combustible materials) generated during incineration or recycling processes will be allowed for landfill.

Accordingly, local governments in the metropolitan area, including Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi, are preparing to prohibit direct landfill of household waste by expanding waste treatment facilities. Seoul is promoting the expansion of waste treatment facilities by forming a site selection committee for the construction of a metropolitan resource recovery facility (incineration facility). Incheon plans to build four new incineration facilities by region and modernize existing ones. Gyeonggi Province also plans to newly build and expand public recycling sorting facilities that include incineration facilities.

The amendment also includes measures to reduce the burden on those subject to fines. When waste disposal operators pay fines, installment payments will be allowed if they meet conditions such as ▲suffering significant losses due to disasters, ▲being in serious business crisis due to deteriorated business conditions, or ▲expecting severe financial difficulties if the fine is paid in a lump sum.

It established grounds for recycling waste light-emitting diodes (LEDs), allowing recovery of metal or non-metal resources from waste and recycling according to designated recyclable types.

Additionally, it allows seashells to be made into calcium carbonate, waste acid into chemical products, and coffee grounds into solid fuel products. Collection and transportation standards for coffee grounds have been relaxed to facilitate smooth collection even from small coffee shops.

The amendment also stipulates specific collection, transportation, and storage methods to safely handle waste batteries from electric vehicles, preventing explosions or electric shock accidents during handling. When recycling waste batteries from electric vehicles, the residual capacity and lifespan must be measured according to methods jointly determined by the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Hong Dong-gon, Director of the Resource Circulation Policy Division at the Ministry of Environment, stated, "Through this amendment, we will steadily promote the ban on direct landfill announced in the resource circulation policy transformation plan and continue efforts to advance toward a resource-circulating society by implementing various institutional improvements."

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