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Korean Trash & Recycling Rules: 종량제 Explained

Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers

Published · Updated · How we write & review

After this page, you can sort trash in Korea into 종량제 (jongnyangje) bags, recyclables and food waste, and ask about the rules in Korean.

10-second answer

The short answer

Korea has no free general trash pickup — you must buy special pre-paid 종량제 (jongnyangje) bags at any convenience store or supermarket, priced by size, and put ONLY non-recyclable waste in them. Everything else gets sorted: 재활용 (jaehwaryong, recyclables: plastic/paper/cans/glass) goes loose into labeled bins, and 음식물 쓰레기 (eumsingmul sseuregi, food waste) goes in a separate bin entirely — often requiring its own prepaid sticker or card-operated bin.

Quick check — did that land?

  1. 1. What is a 종량제 bag?

종량제. You’re in Korea and have trash. Is it ok to throw it away?

Full Dialogue Walkthrough

Asking a neighbor where to buy bags, then checking what's recyclable. Try "Practice as You" and answer each line before checking.

Practice as:
You

종량제 봉투 어디서 사요?

jongnyangje bongtu eodiseo sayo?

Where do I buy the pay-as-you-throw bags?

Neighbor

편의점에서 팔아요.

pyeonuijeom-eseo parayo.

They sell them at convenience stores.

You

아무 편의점에서나 사도 돼요?

amu pyeonuijeom-eseona sado dwaeyo?

Can I buy them at any convenience store?

See also: Convenience Store Korean Phrases

The Three Streams

CategoryWhat goes in itHow you pay
일반 쓰레기 (general waste)Anything not recyclable or food — used tissues, broken items, styrofoam with food residue, plus bones, shells and eggshellsBuy a 종량제 bag (구·군 specific, sold by the liter)
재활용 (recycling)Clean plastic, paper, cans, glass, vinyl — sorted into separate bins or bagsUsually free — no special bag needed
음식물 쓰레기 (food waste)Food scraps an animal could eat — but NOT bones, hard shells (clams, crab), eggshells, fruit pits, or onion and garlic skins; those go in the 종량제 bagOften a separate bag/sticker, or a card-swipe bin billed by weight

종량제 bags are NOT universal — each 구/시 (district/city) sells its own official bags, sold at any local convenience store or supermarket, and a bag from one district usually can't be used in another.

Key Phrases and Vocabulary

종량제 봉투 어디서 사요?

jongnyangje bongtu eodiseo sayo?

Where do I buy the pay-as-you-throw bags?

봉투 = bag. Any nearby convenience store carries the local district's bags.

이거 재활용돼요?

igeo jaehwallyongdwaeyo?

Can this be recycled?

Useful when you're not sure which stream an item belongs to.

Recycling Sub-Sorting

  • 플라스틱 (plastic) — rinse first; food residue can get a whole bag rejected
  • 종이/종이팩 (paper / paper cartons) — milk and juice cartons are sorted SEPARATELY from regular paper
  • 캔/고철 (cans/metal) and 유리병 (glass bottles) — usually separate bins
  • 비닐 (vinyl/soft plastic film) — its own category, distinct from rigid plastic
  • 투명 페트병 (clear PET bottles) — empty, label off, crushed and capped, into their own bag or bin (required nationwide since December 2021)

Apartment complexes typically have a shared recycling area with labeled bins for each category and set collection days — check your building's noticeboard, since exact rules are set locally by each 구청 (district office).

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1 — Putting general trash in a plain bag

Only official 종량제 bags are collected — an unmarked bag left at the curb may simply be left uncollected or ticketed.

Mistake #2 — Mixing food waste into general trash

음식물 쓰레기 must go in its own bin — it's checked and enforced far more strictly than in many countries.

Mini Quiz

  1. 2. Where does food waste (음식물 쓰레기) go?

  2. 3. Can you use a 종량제 bag from a different district?

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