China's decision late last year to stop importing plastic waste has rippled around the world in recent months,... with trash building up in countries like the U.S. and the UK.<br />South Korea has also had its own well-publicized issues with it.<br />Although the government managed to find a temporary fix,... with no long-term solution,.. local residents are demanding action. <br />Lee Jeong-yeon has the details. <br /> The so-called 'waste chaos' in South Korea started earlier this month when recycling collectors refused to take plastic bags, plastic bottles, and even styrofoam.<br />Responding to public concern over the growing piles of trash, the Ministry of Environment says it's persuaded the 48 main recycling collectors in Seoul to resume their normal service.<br /><br /> "There may be some confusion over recycling for another couple of days, but we foresee everything returning to normal in due time."<br /><br /> The capital has some 3-thousand residential complexes, and collection of some items was stopped at around 16-hundred of them.<br />A recent site survey by the ministry found that there are still 348 locations where it's yet to resume. <br /><br />With waste being produced every day and piling up outside homes, it’s becoming an increasingly pressing task for the government to come up with more than just a quick-fix to the issue.<br /><br /> The root cause of the problem: China has banned the import of 24 kinds of solid waste, declaring last July it will no longer be the "world's garbage dump." In less than a year, the value of recyclables dropped from 130 won, or 12 U.S. cents, per kilogram,... to 90 won, or 8 cents, as of last month.<br />This has discouraged recycling collectors from processing materials that are no longer lucrative. According to Greenpeace, China used to import some 56-percent of the world's waste, including South Korea's.<br /><br /> As a temporary solution, recycling collectors got compensation to resume their services.<br />But the government is also working to improve Korea's recycling industry overall.<br />Discussions are being held to come up with specific policies... on the basis of thorough on-site inspections, which will continue until mid-June.<br /><br />Lee Jeong-yeon, Arirang News<br />
