Less Than a Month Until Direct Landfilling Ban... Seoul Faces Growing Dilemma

Ban on Direct Landfilling of Household Waste to Take Effect Next Year
City Discusses Countermeasures and Collects Feedback from Districts
Securing Incineration Plants Remains Difficult; Private Outsourcing Faces Budget Issues
Mobilizing Administrative Resources for Waste Reduction and Expanded Recycling

With just about 20 days remaining before the ban on direct landfilling of household waste-where pay-as-you-throw trash is buried directly in the ground-goes into effect, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is facing a dilemma. While the city has announced plans to mobilize all available administrative resources, it is currently impossible to secure additional incineration plants in the short term, and utilizing private waste processing facilities will inevitably require additional budget spending.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on December 9, the city has recently begun collecting feedback from its 25 districts regarding the “Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Waste Management Act.” By December 11, the city plans to review each district’s current waste processing status and their requests for future support and response, in order to find points of cooperation with the central government.

The process of bringing in and taking out plastic recycling waste in progress at the Suwon City Resource Circulation Center in Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier this month, the Seoul Metropolitan Government signed a work agreement with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon City to implement the ban on direct landfilling of household waste. The main point is the principle ban on direct landfilling of household waste starting January 1 next year.

This is also linked to the “Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Waste Management Act,” which the government began pre-announcing for legislation on December 5. The amendment sets standards for household waste that may be exceptionally permitted for direct landfilling, serving as a transitional stabilization measure.

However, as of 2024, approximately 210,000 tons of household waste from Seoul are sent to the metropolitan landfill site. This amounts to 20% of the city’s total household waste generation, which is 1.1 million tons. With direct landfilling banned from next year, this volume must be handled through alternative methods.

There are not many options available. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has considered locations such as Mapo as candidates for new incineration plants, but none have been completed due to resident opposition. Furthermore, the city lost the first trial in a lawsuit against Mapo District to cancel the selection of the incineration plant site. Even if the city ultimately wins the lawsuit, it is estimated that it would take about five years from construction to actual operation of a new incineration plant.

Outsourcing to private waste processing facilities outside the city remains, but the processing unit cost is higher than public facilities, and transportation costs are inevitably increased. Private incineration plants are subject to significant cost fluctuations due to factors such as oil prices, electricity rates, and maintenance costs, and unlike public facilities, their prices are difficult to control. Given that, under current law, waste processing and cost burdens fall under the responsibility of basic local governments (district offices), the financial burden on local districts is expected to increase.

The situation is somewhat better in Incheon City and Gyeonggi Province. Most cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province have begun administrative procedures to outsource household waste incineration to private incineration plants. With ample available land, plans for new and expanded public incineration plants are also underway. The public incineration plant in Seongnam City began construction last year, and four more are scheduled to begin construction next year.

Incheon City has also been working on both reducing household waste-such as through operating the Incheon Resource Circulation Store-and expanding public incineration facilities. The modernization project for the Songdo Resource Circulation Center will begin basic and detailed design in 2026, with construction starting in 2027. The city is also discussing expansion plans for public incineration facilities with 10 districts and counties.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government may utilize the provision allowing direct landfilling only in exceptional cases during the early phase of implementation. The government has stipulated that, in principle, direct landfilling of household waste is prohibited but may be temporarily allowed only in unavoidable situations. However, even in such exceptional cases, a concrete reduction plan must be implemented in parallel to meet the goal of “zero landfill” by 2029.

Accordingly, the city will prioritize expanding incineration facilities and focus on “waste reduction” efforts. For the first time in the country, Seoul will build dedicated collection centers for sewing fabrics and discarded banners to accelerate the recycling of waste previously destined for landfill. The city also plans to reduce household waste in daily life by introducing reusable containers at venues with high single-use item usage, such as baseball stadiums and funeral halls.

Measures are also being prepared to prevent confusion and processing delays during the initial phase of the ban, such as operating a response task force until the system stabilizes. A city official stated, “Even if the ban on direct landfilling is implemented starting next month, we will work closely with the districts to ensure no inconvenience for citizens,” adding, “In the mid- to long-term, we will continue discussions to establish a stable waste processing system, including measures to reduce household waste.”