Volume-based Waste Fee System
4.2 Before 1995, waste collection in South Korea was charged on a fixed
rate through property tax or monthly fee regardless of the volume of wastes
disposed of. In 1995, the Volume-based Waste Fee System was introduced
under the "producer-pays" principle requiring users or polluters to pay the
disposal cost according to the quantity of wastes they produce. The
"producer-pays" principle is intended to change the consumption and disposal
behaviour of producers and consumers, thereby reducing wastes at the waste
generation stage. The Volume-based Waste Fee System has proven to be
successful in South Korea's efforts to reduce wastes. According to the
Ministry of Environment, the amount of domestic wastes produced per person
was reduced 23% from 1.33 kilogram per day before its introduction in 1994 to
1.03 kilogram per day in 2009.