[The Editors' Verdict] Will We Pass Down Our Waste to Future Generations Too?

Failure to Secure New Landfill Sites and Delays in Incinerator Construction
Direct Landfill Ban Inevitably Postponed
The Vicious Cycle of Passing Waste to Future Generations Must End

Kyung Ho Lee Issue & Trend Team Leader

The Sudokwon Landfill in Seo-gu, Incheon, which has been handling waste from the Seoul metropolitan area, has been in operation for over 30 years since its opening in 1992. According to the original plan, it was supposed to close in 2016, but it is still in use because a suitable alternative landfill site has not been found. The Ministry of Environment, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon Metropolitan City decided to continue using the landfill through a four-party agreement in 2015, and currently, landfill operations continue under the name "3-1 Landfill."

There have been three public calls to find a new landfill site for the metropolitan area: the first and second in 2021, and the third last year. With each round, the minimum site area required was reduced: 2.2 million square meters in the first round, 1.3 million square meters in the second, and 900,000 square meters in the third. In the third round, the special support fund offered to local governments hosting the landfill was increased by 50 billion won, reaching 300 billion won. Despite easing conditions and increasing the support fund, no local government volunteered to host the landfill. For the fourth round, it is reported that the government is considering further easing requirements by reducing the minimum site area, but without increasing the special support fund. In particular, the eligibility to apply may be expanded from local governments to private entities such as companies. This reflects the reality that local government heads, who must be mindful of residents' opinions, find it difficult to actively pursue hosting a landfill. However, even if a company steps forward, it remains uncertain whether a landfill can actually be established on that site.

There are also projections that the usable period of the Sudokwon Landfill could be longer than expected. The 3-1 Landfill, which is currently at 65% capacity, was originally designed to reach full capacity this year. However, due to a decrease in the amount of waste being landfilled, some estimates suggest that, in terms of capacity alone, it could be used until 2042. The amount of waste disposed of annually, which exceeded 6 million tons in 2004, dropped to about 1.07 million tons last year, a reduction to one-sixth of the previous level. Policies such as the introduction of a volume-based waste fee system, the ban on direct landfilling of food waste, and restrictions on the direct intake of large construction waste have all contributed to this reduction.

The government has decided to completely ban the direct landfilling of untreated municipal waste starting in 2026. However, as waste volume decreases and local governments in the metropolitan area fail to expand incineration facilities, this measure is expected to be postponed. Of the 33 local governments in the metropolitan area, 26 lack sufficient incineration capacity. Furthermore, not a single new incineration facility will be completed by 2026. The Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to build a new metropolitan incineration plant in Mapo-gu, but the plan was halted by the court due to residents' opposition. The court stated, "There were procedural flaws in the formation of the site selection committee, and there were also procedural issues in the selection of a professional research institution for the feasibility study of candidate sites." The situation is similar in Incheon. Political schedules are also a variable. After an early presidential election, regardless of who comes to power, a new administration will take office, inevitably resulting in a period of governmental transition. Local elections are also scheduled for next year. Last year, Incheon stated that the fourth public call would be the last, but a dramatic reversal seems unlikely.

If things continue as they are, metropolitan area waste will ultimately return to the current landfill. The direct landfill ban policy will be postponed, and the basic principle of "treating waste at its source" may become meaningless. Even now, 64 out of 66 basic local governments in the metropolitan area use the Sudokwon Landfill. If this continues, the current landfill risks remaining the "backyard" for the entire metropolitan area, and the waste problem is likely to be "passed on to the next generation, the next people." Nature is an asset that should be handed down to future generations, but waste should not be passed on along with it. Kyung Ho Lee Issue & Trend Team Leader