Incheon Local Governments Urge Implementation of Direct Landfill Ban on Metropolitan Solid Waste Starting Next Year

Local governments in Incheon are urging for the implementation of a direct landfill ban on municipal solid waste in the Seoul metropolitan area starting next year.

On October 14, the Incheon Metropolitan Government announced that during the meeting of county and district heads held on October 13, the city and its ten counties and districts reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing the direct landfill ban on municipal solid waste from January 1, 2026. The city and local governments also agreed to seek joint measures to minimize inconvenience to residents resulting from the new policy.

The direct landfill ban on municipal solid waste in the Seoul metropolitan area was established based on an agreement among the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, Incheon Metropolitan Government, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Gyeonggi Provincial Government. It was institutionalized through the revision of the Enforcement Rules of the Waste Management Act in July 2021.

Accordingly, starting January 1, 2026, direct landfill of municipal solid waste generated in the Seoul metropolitan area will be completely prohibited. Once the ban takes effect, solid waste can no longer be buried directly in landfills; only incineration residue will be allowed for landfill disposal.

Metropolitan Landfill Site in Seo-gu, Incheon. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

However, as the expansion projects for incineration facilities in metropolitan local governments have been delayed, there are concerns that a full-scale implementation of the direct landfill ban next year could trigger a so-called "waste crisis," including delays in waste collection. The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy plans to continue discussions with metropolitan governments to develop implementation measures for the direct landfill ban on municipal solid waste.

Regarding this issue, the Incheon Metropolitan Government, which seeks to end the use of the Metropolitan Landfill Site in Seo-gu, Incheon, maintains its position to implement the direct landfill ban as scheduled next year. In contrast, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Gyeonggi Provincial Government are reportedly requesting a postponement of the enforcement.

In preparation for the ban, the Incheon Metropolitan Government is pursuing initiatives such as reducing municipal solid waste, expanding recycling, and establishing partnerships with private incineration companies. As a result, the volume of municipal solid waste from Incheon brought to the Metropolitan Landfill Site decreased by 35%, from 112,201 tons in 2020 to 72,929 tons last year.

Going forward, the city plans to further strengthen its stable waste management system by cooperating with counties and districts to expand incineration facilities, upgrade recycling systems, and broaden citizen participation campaigns for waste reduction.

An official from the Incheon Metropolitan Government stated, "The direct landfill ban on municipal solid waste in the Seoul metropolitan area is a national policy that was agreed upon after lengthy discussions among the four parties. Incheon will work together with counties and districts to ensure the smooth implementation of the policy next year."

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