"Tomato Stems and Chicken Bones Are a No-Go"… Internet Users Report Ridiculous Cases

There are numerous anecdotes of individuals being unfairly fined for throwing general waste into designated waste disposal bags. As the different criteria for separating waste among local governments become widely known, complaints are emerging online.

On the 9th, a post titled "'The Current Chaos of Designated Waste Bag Paparazzi Situation'" quickly spread across social media and online communities.

The civilian who posted, Mr. A, stated, "'I was fined 100,000 KRW for disposing of tomato stems as regular waste, another 100,000 KRW for chicken bones with a bit of meat on them, and 100,000 KRW for improperly disposing of rubber gloves.'" He questioned, "'Is this a country that searches through delivery invoices to impose fines?'"

"Do I Have to Rinse Unwashed Paper Lunch Boxes with Soap?"

Another civilian, Mr. B, shared a fine he received from the Suwon Yeongtong-gu Office, stating, "'I ate a paper lunch box at the office and tossed it without rinsing, and I received a fine notification.'" Mr. B remarked, "'I was told that contaminated paper should be disposed of as general waste, but is this the era where we have to rinse waste with soap?'"

He said that after directly inquiring with sanitation workers, he was informed, "'Since it's a concentrated enforcement period, elderly individuals are conducting monitoring activities, and you should dispose of waste according to the collection times or in the early morning.'" He also mentioned that enforcement personnel increase significantly on weekends.

Regarding this, the Yeongtong-gu Office explained in a phone call with Maeil Business Newspaper that "'If food waste is found on the outside of designated waste bags or if the bags are not used properly, it is regarded as illegal dumping or mixed disposal,'" adding, "'Enforcement personnel are not paparazzi receiving rewards, but authorized employees getting paid.'"

"Searching Through Invoices for a Staged Act"… Distrust Spreading

As cases of fines increase, some citizens are sharing warnings about the so-called 'Designated Waste Paparazzi.' One writer claimed, "'There are staged acts where individuals search through designated waste bags in the metropolitan area, find delivery invoices or receipts, and deliberately add dirty waste to report them.'"

This internet user emphasized, "'I personally witnessed elderly individuals searching through designated waste bags,' stressing that 'any paper type containing addresses or contact information should be torn before disposal.'"

Online reactions include statements like "'I'm afraid to throw away trash,'" and "'Shouldn't there be a warning measure first, within reason?'" Alongside this, distrust regarding the varying standards among municipalities is growing. There are calls for clearer regulations on waste separation and reviews on excessive enforcement.

Image source: Designated Waste Bag / News1, Threads, Facebook