What was once a city where foul-smelling landfills loomed over entire neighborhoods is now one of the cleanest cities on the planet. The city we’re talking about is South Korea’s capital, Seoul, which managed to clean up its streets thanks in part to one of the most rigorous food waste recycling programs the world has ever seen. In 2005, legislation was passed by the government that banned sending food to landfills. That law was followed up with another that prohibited the dumping of bio-hazardous liquid into the sea.
As a result, a staggering 95 percent of food waste is recycled – a remarkable leap from less than 2 percent in 1995. Seoul has managed to cut the amount of food waste produced by 400 metric tons per day. On top of that, South Koreans have been required by law to discard food waste in biodegradable bags, priced according to the volume and cost the average four-person family about $6 a month. By purchasing the bags from the local convenience store or supermarket, residents are effectively paying a tax on their food waste upfront – which, in its turn, pays for roughly 60 percent of the cost of collecting and processing the city’s food waste. Isn’t it time we get something like this going in the US where one-third of all food is wasted?
