A Study on the Trend of Domestic Waste Generation and the Recognition of Recycling Priorities in Korea

Seok-ho Jung, Mee-hye Lee, Seong-ho Lee and Ji Whan Ahn
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Seok-ho Jung: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Mee-hye Lee: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Seong-ho Lee: Center for Carbon Mineralization, Mineral Resources Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), 124 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34132, Korea
Ji Whan Ahn: Center for Carbon Mineralization, Mineral Resources Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), 124 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34132, Korea

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: In September 2015, the United Nations included ‘sustainable consumption and production’ as part of its 12th goal of sustainable development. The EU announced its Circular Economic Package in December 2015 to move from the existing linear economic structure to the net environmental system. Recycling of household waste has become more significant as a circular economic policy has been implemented to reflow waste into the economy through recycling worldwide. In this study, Korea’s household waste generation for 20 years from 1998 to 2017 was analyzed through statistical techniques. Waste generation tended to increase in the order of plastics and cans, and papers tended to decrease. The amount of bottle wastes has been on the decline after increasing. A questionnaire survey on recycling priority was conducted on 261 people, including participants in the EARTH-2019 recycling experience hall, using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique. According to the survey, the recycling priorities of six types of household waste are (first) plastic, (second) cans, viny, scrap metals, (third) paper, and (fourth) bottles. Statistical analysis of mid- to long-term household waste generation and AHP-based household waste recycling priority survey results can be used as basic data, such as environmental analysis in Korea’s recycling-related policies and research.

Keywords: household waste; recycling; circular economy; household waste recycling priority survey; AHP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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