Written By Josephine Lee
In 1995, South Korea was a country that recycled only 2% of their food waste. Foul smells reeked from landfills where food waste was being disposed.
The government saw the need for change in 2005 for food waste to be banned from being disposed into landfills. Later in 2013, the Korean government passed policies to further change the food waste system. Not only did the government ban squeezing water from food waste into the sea, but people are now inclined to decrease their food waste because each household is charged on how much food waste is disposed, acting like a tax that can be avoided by wasting less or not wasting at all. Today, food waste is being disposed in biodegradable bags which average about $6 a month for a 4-person household. This money has been used to help develop better ways to process waste.
About 10-15% of Koreans recorded (even those who live in urban-area apartments) might not only grow their own food in small gardens, but they also make compost at home in an attempt to create zero food waste.
America can definitely learn from what South Korea has implemented, as the statistics in change has shown such improvements in their food waste system.
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