Recycling and Trash Rules in Korea: Bags, Sorting and Bulky Waste
Short answer: In Korea you pay for household waste by buying official “standard” garbage bags, and you sort everything else. General trash goes in a standard bag, food waste goes in its own container or bag, recyclables are separated by material, and furniture or large appliances must be reported and tagged before pickup. The exact bag prices, collection days and some sorting details are set by your district (gu) office, so treat the examples here as a guide and confirm locally.
This article is based on Seoul Metropolitan Government publications and one district office’s English page, plus the national ministry’s overview. It is not a nationwide rulebook.
How the system works
Korea’s ministry describes its waste policy as resting on two pillars: volume-based fees for general and food waste, and separate disposal of recyclables. Seoul’s own booklet says the volume-rate system and sorting of recyclables began in 1995. The idea is simple: because the bags cost money, throwing away less (and recycling more) costs you less.
Seoul’s 2026 guidebook adds that each of the city’s 25 districts has its own collection schedule, and that regulations may vary by district. If you live outside Seoul, expect the same basic structure but check your own city or county.
The four main categories
| Category | What goes in it | How to dispose of it (Seoul guidebook) |
|---|---|---|
| General waste | Household trash that cannot be recycled or composted | Standard garbage bag, put out on your district’s collection day |
| Food waste | Leftovers and food scraps from before and after cooking | Designated container, bag or machine, depending on your building |
| Recyclables | Paper, glass, metal, plastic, vinyl, styrofoam and similar items | Sorted by material and put out clean on the collection day |
| Bulky waste | Furniture and large appliances that do not fit in a standard bag | Report to the district, pay the fee, attach the receipt |
Standard garbage bags: where to buy and what they cost
Seoul says standard bags are sold at supermarkets and convenience stores, and that prices vary by district. Mapo-gu’s English page adds that bags must be bought from designated sellers, and that if you move to another district the seller will exchange them at the current price.
Mapo-gu’s page also lists bag sizes and prices, but the numbers have no currency label and the page has no update date, so they are not reproduced here. Bag sizes run from small 1 to 5 litre bags for food waste up to 100 litre bags for general waste. Check your own district office’s current price list before you buy in bulk.
There are also special polypropylene (PP) sacks for items that cannot be recycled but are too large for a normal bag, sold at stores that carry garbage bags.
Food waste
Seoul’s guidebook describes three setups, depending on where you live:
- Detached homes and buildings with fewer than 20 households: the designated 25L food waste container.
- Buildings with 20 or more households: the complex’s designated 120L container, with fees added to the monthly management charges.
- Apartment complexes with a food waste machine: payment by traffic card is listed for the machine.
The guidebook says food waste is collected on a designated day of the week, until 10 pm. Mapo-gu describes using a standard yellow food waste bag for detached houses and an RFID-tagged container for multi-unit housing. The method clearly differs by area.
Not everything that came from food counts as food waste. Seoul’s food waste standard (dated April 2020, translated into ten languages including English) lists items to put in general waste instead. Examples include:
- Hard shells of walnuts, chestnuts, peanuts, acorns and coconuts, and pineapple peel
- Large fruit pits such as peach, apricot and persimmon
- Animal bones and hair
- Shellfish shells and fish bones
- Eggshells
- Tea and herbal-medicine grounds
- Onion, garlic and corn skins
Non-food items such as plastic bags, bottle caps, toothpicks and rubber gloves must not go in food waste either. Some local rules differ, such as how small bones are handled, so check your district.
Recyclables
Seoul’s guidebook says to separate recyclables by material (paper, metal, plastic, glass, vinyl and so on), put them in the designated place, and use the district’s collection day, with put-out times given as sunset to midnight. The city’s sorting booklet (published December 2020) gives a four-step habit: empty the container, rinse it, remove labels and tape, then sort by material.
Some points from the Seoul sources:
- Vinyl: dirty vinyl may be mistaken for garbage, so collect clean vinyl in a transparent bag. Mapo-gu says to use a transparent bag, not a black one, and that collectors refuse non-compliant bags and attach a refusal sticker.
- PET bottles: since December 25, 2020, transparent PET bottles in Seoul multi-unit buildings must be separated from other plastic.
- Broken glass: small pieces go in a standard bag, wrapped in newspaper for safety. Large pieces go in a special PP sack, according to the sorting booklet.
- Items that are not recyclable: the booklet lists things like thermal-paper receipts, diapers, rubber gloves and film-coated paper as standard-bag items.
- Fluorescent lamps and batteries: keep them out of general waste. Seoul’s guidebook says community service centers have collection boxes for them.
Bulky waste and large appliances
Seoul defines bulky waste as anything that cannot go in a standard bag, such as furniture and home appliances. The Seoul guidebook describes this process:
- Report the item online through your district office’s website, or at your local community service center.
- Pay the fee. Fees vary by district.
- Print or receive the report receipt and attach it to the item.
- Put it out for collection at the time you reported.
If what you put out does not match what you reported, it counts as illegal dumping and will not be collected. Seoul’s guidebook lists a maximum fine of 200,000 won for illegal bulky dumping.
For appliances such as TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners, Seoul’s guidebook says the Home Appliances Disposal Center (1599-0903) will collect them from your home for free if you book in advance. Mapo-gu’s page gives the same number, with online booking at www.edtd.co.kr. The guidebook lists Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays as closed days. Small appliances cannot be thrown out one at a time; Seoul says to put out five or more at once or add them to a bulky waste pickup. Cell phones, irons and vacuums are among small appliances that may be disposed of free of charge.
Fines
Seoul’s guidebook says breaking waste rules can bring a fine of up to 1 million won, and that mixing general and food waste can bring fines that grow with repeat violations. Mapo-gu lists a range of 50,000 to 1,000,000 won under the Waste Control Act. Violations it names include not using the standard bag, putting trash out at the wrong time or place, and leaving large items out without reporting them. If you were fined unfairly, Seoul says you can file a civil complaint with evidence at the district office.
Where to find your own district’s rules
- Your district office website, which usually has the collection calendar and the bulky waste report page.
- The community service center (dong office) in your neighborhood.
- Your building manager, especially in apartments, where shared containers and schedules are common.
- Seoul’s 120 Dasan call center. Seoul’s guidebook lists Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian and Vietnamese for this service, but This guide did not confirm its current hours.
Quick checklist
- Buy the standard bags for your own district.
- Find your collection days and put-out times.
- Empty and rinse recyclables, and remove labels where required.
- Check whether your building uses a food waste container, chip, machine or bag.
- Report bulky items first and attach the receipt.
- Ask the building manager when the rules are unclear.
Common mistakes
- Using regular plastic bags or a bag from another district.
- Putting out trash at the wrong time or on the wrong day.
- Treating bones, shells and tea grounds as food waste.
- Leaving furniture outside without reporting it.
- Assuming Seoul’s rules apply in every other city.
This guide is general information, not personal advice. Rules, prices and schedules change by district, so confirm with your district office or the official sources linked below.
Sources
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Guidebook for Living in Seoul, 2026 revised edition (Trash Disposal section)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Guide to Waste Sorting & Recycling (English booklet)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Outline of Food Waste Disposal Standard in ten languages
- Mapo-gu Office (English): Waste Discharge
- Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (English): Land & Waste
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