[Newsmaker] Environment Ministry urges local governments to collect plastic waste

The Ministry of Environment said it will start providing financial support to local recyclables collection and disposal companies as early as this week, as recycling companies continue to refuse to collect some items that China no longer purchases. 

The new plan, which was reported to President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday to tackle South Korea’s waste management crisis which began earlier this month, is expected to help recycling companies dispose of plastic bags and Styrofoam materials amid a dramatic fall in their prices.

The ministry said it will also encourage local governments to collect plastics, reducing the financial burden on recycling companies.

China’s ban on imports of 24 types of recyclables came into effect in January, sending a shock wave to recyclables collection and disposal companies who sold to China. The for-profit garbage service companies operating in three metropolitan cities halted collecting recyclables banned by China starting April 1, citing low profit margins and increasing the processing cost.

On Tuesday, Moon apologized for causing inconvenience, saying that the Environment Ministry failed to come up with measures to manage waste before China imposed its ban.

Over the week, the refusal of the waste service companies to collect plastics here caused much confusion among residents of apartment complexes, as they struggled to understand what can and cannot go in their recycle bins.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)