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Few things confuse new arrivals in Seoul as quickly as the trash. Korea uses a volume-based waste system: you pay for general waste by buying official garbage bags, food waste is collected separately, and recyclables are sorted by type. The basic rules are the same across the city, but each district (gu) sets its own details, such as bag colors, collection days and disposal hours. This guide covers what you need to know in your first week after you rent in Seoul.
General Waste: Use Your District’s Garbage Bags
Anything that cannot be recycled and is not food, such as tissues, used wrapping and broken household items, goes into a volume-based waste bag (종량제 봉투, jongnyangje bongtu). Bags come in several sizes and are sold at convenience stores, supermarkets and other designated shops.
- Use bags for your own district. Each district issues its own bags, and you can only use the bags designated for the area where you live.
- Bag colors vary by district. Household bags and bags for businesses are different colors, so make sure you buy the household type.
- Tie the bag closed and do not mix in food waste or recyclables.
Food Waste
Food waste is collected separately and recycled, so it has its own bags or bins. Depending on your building, you will either buy designated food waste bags or use shared bins. In many apartment complexes the bins weigh the waste and charge each household for what it throws away.
Seoul asks residents to drain all water before disposal, rinse salty foods such as kimchi and soybean paste, and chop large items like whole radishes into small pieces. Some kitchen waste does not count as food waste because it can damage the recycling machines. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s food waste standard, these go in general waste instead:
- Animal bones (beef, pork, chicken) and fish bones
- Shellfish and crustacean shells, and eggshells
- Hard nut shells, pineapple and coconut shells, and the pits of stone fruits
- Onion, garlic and corn skins, green onion roots and pepper seeds
- Tea leaves and herbal medicine grounds
- Anything that is not food, such as plastic, toothpicks, bottle caps and foil
Recyclables
Recyclables are sorted by type: paper, cans, glass bottles, scrap metal, Styrofoam and plastic. Empty containers, rinse off food, and put each type out separately, usually in clear plastic bags so collectors can see what is inside. Apartment complexes typically have labelled bins for each material.
Large Items and Furniture
Furniture, mattresses, bedding and appliances such as refrigerators count as large waste and cannot simply be left on the street. Request a pickup through your district office’s website or a pickup service, pay the fee, and put the item out as instructed. Arrange this well before a move-out date, because collection is not always available the same day.
When and Where to Put Trash Out
How you put trash out depends on the type of building you live in:
- Apartment complexes usually have a dedicated collection area with separate bins, and the management office sets the rules.
- Villas and houses generally put bags out in front of the building on set days and at set times. In Seocho-gu, for example, waste goes out between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m., not on Saturdays or the day before a public holiday, and general waste and recyclables are collected on alternate days. Other districts have their own schedules, so check yours.
If you miss the time, keep the trash inside until the next collection day. Bags left out at the wrong time or in the wrong bag may not be collected.
What to Check When You Move In
A few questions for your landlord or building manager on the first day will save a lot of guesswork:
- Which days and hours does your building put out general waste and recyclables?
- Where is the collection point, and does the building use food waste bags or a weighing bin with a card?
- Which district are you in, so you buy the right garbage bags?
Waste rules are one of several things to sort out in your first days. Another is reporting your new address; read why you should file your jeonip singo immediately after moving in.
Settling Into Your New Home
When you rent through us, our bilingual team can check these details with the landlord before you move in. Browse current homes in Itaewon, Hannam, UN Village and Dongbinggo or in Seorae Village and Banpo.