‘Crackdown on Illegal Disposal of Household Waste’ Pohang City Strengthens Intensive Enforcement

Formation of 4 Teams with 10 Enforcement Officers for Continuous Crackdown on Illegal Household Waste Dumping

Mobile Surveillance Cameras, Encouraging Reporting Awareness, Rewards, and Changing Citizen Mindsets

Pohang City has stepped up intensive crackdowns to raise citizens' awareness of illegal dumping of various types of household waste in areas densely populated with one-room apartments and houses, vacant lots, and forest land.

Recently, due to the increase in food delivery caused by COVID-19, mixed disposal of food waste has increased, making it urgently necessary to properly separate recyclable materials such as paper, PET bottles, and cans, and to foster a shift in consciousness to eradicate mixed disposal and illegal dumping.

Accordingly, the city announced that starting in March, 10 members of the crackdown team will be organized into four groups to conduct regular crackdowns on illegal dumping of household waste. This crackdown will be carried out in connection with the "Illegal Garbage Dumping Crackdown and Environmental Maintenance Project" promoted by 29 towns, townships, and neighborhoods, and promotional activities on proper garbage disposal methods and the use of volume-based waste bags will also be conducted simultaneously.

The main inspection targets include ▲non-use of volume-based waste bags ▲mixed garbage disposal ▲illegal disposal of large waste and food waste ▲illegal disposal of business site household waste ▲illegal incineration and landfill of household waste, and violators will be fined up to 1 million won.

In addition, crackdowns on illegal dumping using surveillance cameras (CCTV) will be actively promoted. Currently, there are a total of 243 illegal garbage dumping surveillance cameras (CCTV) installed in Pohang City (114 fixed cameras and 129 mobile cameras).

In particular, mobile surveillance cameras detect surrounding movements using solar power and broadcast guidance messages to raise citizens' awareness of illegal dumping, enhancing prevention and crackdown effects. Ten additional mobile cameras were installed in February of this year.

Along with this, the city provides rewards for reports that lead to fines to encourage citizens' reporting awareness to eradicate illegal (unauthorized) dumping, and has paid out about 5 million won in rewards over the past three years.

Through crackdowns on illegal household waste dumping, Pohang City imposed fines of ▲18.7 billion won for 1,870 cases in 2020 ▲17.6 billion won for 1,696 cases in 2021 ▲17.3 billion won for 1,593 cases in 2022.

Pohang City has organized a task force since March to raise citizens' awareness of illegal dumping of various household wastes and is conducting ongoing crackdowns on illegal household waste dumping.

Ko Wonhak, Director of the Environment Bureau, said, “While strengthening crackdowns is important to create a clean and pleasant residential living environment, mature civic awareness must come first,” and added, “We ask for active practice and cooperation in reducing household waste and separating waste properly, even if it is a little inconvenient, to establish a proper household waste disposal culture.”