Jeju's 70 Tons of Waste Daily: Purity Determines Recycling Value

Amidst 70 tons of recycled waste generated daily in the Jeju region, whether this waste is discarded as mere trash or reborn as valuable resources hinges on how 'cleanly' it was separated (its purity). While facilities sort waste by material, the value of recycled raw materials ultimately depends on their purity. Kim Tae-hyun, director of the Jeju Metropolitan Living Resource Recovery Center, stated that improved household separation and disposal would boost waste sorting rates and enhance resource recovery.

In reality, plastics in pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) bags amount to an average of 25g per person per day, which is twice the amount separately sorted for recycling. Consequently, only 8% of household waste in PAYT bags is recycled. While South Korea's statistical recycling rate is 56%, the 'actual recycling rate' — materials used as raw feedstock excluding incineration energy — stands at 16%.

Hong Su-yeol, director of the Institute for Resource Circulation Economy, emphasized that improved recycling cannot occur simply through diligent separation by citizens alone; systems must be in place to support their efforts properly.