Seoul's total household waste generation decreased by 29 tons per day compared with the same period a year earlier, while recyclable waste collection increased by 60 tons per day, according to the city government. Officials said the combination of diverse reduction and recycling policies by district governments and expanded citizen participation has translated into tangible results.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday that it had confirmed these positive changes after conducting the first evaluation of its "Household Waste Diet 10 Million Citizens Practice Project" over a two-month period from February to March, covering all 25 district governments. The city reviewed performance across four areas, including household waste reduction, increased recycling, citizen participation efforts, and specialized projects. As a result, household waste generation fell 1 percent from the same period last year, while recyclable waste collection rose 4.7 percent.
The "Household Waste Diet Practice Pledge Challenge," launched to broaden the base of citizen participation, drew 109,838 participants, reaching 109.8 percent of its 100,000-person target. By district, a total of 3,416 educational sessions and campaigns were held on themes such as separate waste disposal and single-use item reduction, which the city said helped spread everyday practices such as proper sorting methods and the use of reusable containers.
On the ground, specialized resource circulation policies reflecting local conditions have also continued. Representative examples include converting bone waste from restaurants into recyclable resources and introducing reusable containers at family campsites to reduce single-use items. Efforts to narrow blind spots in separate disposal are also spreading, including collecting and recycling coffee grounds at cafes and franchise stores, as well as managing small home appliances and secondary batteries through separate collection systems. A growing number of district governments are boosting resident participation through beverage cup collection bins, shared basket installations, and campaigns using their own promotional content and brands.
The results also serve as the first report card for the "Household Waste Diet 10 Million Citizens Practice Project," which Seoul has been promoting in earnest since the beginning of this year. The city has set a goal of reducing household waste by the equivalent of one standard garbage bag per citizen annually, achieving a reduction equivalent to one district's daily generation (about 120 tons) by 2027, and building a foundation for 100 percent public processing of household waste by 2033.
Based on the first evaluation results, Seoul plans to share best practices across all district governments and provide a total of 1 billion won in financial support to top-performing districts for related projects to strengthen on-the-ground momentum for reduction and recycling. Through a second evaluation and a year-end comprehensive assessment, the city plans to gradually expand the weight given to reduction and recycling performance, and to boost the execution of its "Household Waste Diet" policy based on district cooperation and citizen participation.
"Going forward, we will produce visible waste reduction and recycling results through the development of effective reduction policies and institutional improvements, and firmly build the foundation for a 'Carbon Neutral City by 2050,'" said Kwon Min, head of Seoul's Climate and Environment Headquarters.
