S. Korea vows to stamp out illegal waste disposal by 2022
- 5 years ago
The South Korean government has revealed plans to get tough on firms flouting the rules on the disposal of waste.
With dumping taking place at home and companies packing it up to be dumped in other countries,... the government says it intends to completely clean up the "disorganized" industry within the next few years.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
Earlier this month,... a South Korean waste management firm was found to have illegally sent tons of waste to the Philippines for disposal.
The extent of the illegal dumping was only discovered when a container was returned to South Korea still full of waste.
Such shady practices are also a growing problem here in South Korea.
Experts say a staggering 170-thousand tons of waste has been dumped in waterways throughout Gyeongsangbuk-do Province alone.
The problem isn't limited to one particular province though... with illegal dumping reported around South Korea.
Looking to crack down on the public health issue once and for all,... the government has laid out some tough new guidelines.
"We will strengthen public management for our waste disposal system as a whole. We'll also expand our waste processing capacity to appropriate levels nationwide... and strengthen management control over the private recycling market."
The move comes as the government has become increasingly disillusioned with local companies in the waste processing sector,... labeling them ineffective and disorganized,... and calling for tighter management oversight for the entire sector.
In addition, the government will destroy 20-percent of the 650-thousand tons of illegal waste collected so far by the end of this year,... and completely eradicate it by 2022.
It plans this month to reveal how much illegal waste has been dumped around the nation and announce specific measures to deal with the issue.
South Korea is also pushing to eliminate the use of all disposable cups and plastic straws by 2027 as part of its bid to slash unnecessary waste in the nation.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
With dumping taking place at home and companies packing it up to be dumped in other countries,... the government says it intends to completely clean up the "disorganized" industry within the next few years.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
Earlier this month,... a South Korean waste management firm was found to have illegally sent tons of waste to the Philippines for disposal.
The extent of the illegal dumping was only discovered when a container was returned to South Korea still full of waste.
Such shady practices are also a growing problem here in South Korea.
Experts say a staggering 170-thousand tons of waste has been dumped in waterways throughout Gyeongsangbuk-do Province alone.
The problem isn't limited to one particular province though... with illegal dumping reported around South Korea.
Looking to crack down on the public health issue once and for all,... the government has laid out some tough new guidelines.
"We will strengthen public management for our waste disposal system as a whole. We'll also expand our waste processing capacity to appropriate levels nationwide... and strengthen management control over the private recycling market."
The move comes as the government has become increasingly disillusioned with local companies in the waste processing sector,... labeling them ineffective and disorganized,... and calling for tighter management oversight for the entire sector.
In addition, the government will destroy 20-percent of the 650-thousand tons of illegal waste collected so far by the end of this year,... and completely eradicate it by 2022.
It plans this month to reveal how much illegal waste has been dumped around the nation and announce specific measures to deal with the issue.
South Korea is also pushing to eliminate the use of all disposable cups and plastic straws by 2027 as part of its bid to slash unnecessary waste in the nation.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.