Korea used to have a huge food waste problem. In the 1990s, Korea’s food waste was at its worse, and in 1995 Koreans only recycled around 2% of the country's food waste. After the pressures felt from a high density population as well as a rising economy with increased development, the Korean government has made tremendous efforts to increase its food waste reduction. In 2013 Korea was able to increase its food waste recycling to 95%. So how did Korea make this dramatic leap, and how has this affected Korean society?
Korean society places a huge importance on recycling and food waste reduction. In Korean society, banchan is highly consumed with regular meals. Banchan are side dishes that are usually served with the main course. They are usually vegetables, fish, and eggs. Because of this, a lot of times banchan is not fully eaten but left to be thrown away. Additionally, in the 1990s, Korea’s economy rose and allowed people to eat out which placed higher pressure on major cities to deal with the waste and trash. So, the Korean government started making people pay for their food waste.
Now, in Korea, you must buy yellow plastic bags to put your food waste in. It is required by law to throw away your food waste inside these bags.
