The city of Seoul said Thursday that it will add over 2,500 new trash bins on the streets by 2025.
The difficulty to dispose of trash in public spaces has been among the most common complaints from foreign visitors to the capital, as well as residents. Across Seoul, a city of some 10 million residents, there are currently fewer than 5,000 trash cans.
Public trash cans disappeared en masse from the streets of Seoul and elsewhere across the country following the 1995 introduction of a pay-as-you-throw-away system, in which individuals are required to purchase standard garbage bags for the disposal of household waste. This led to a reduction in the number of public trash cans on the streets, discouraging people from using them to avoid paying the price of their waste.
But a 2021 survey conducted by the city government revealed that over 70 percent of respondents perceived Seoul as having a shortage of accessible street trash cans.
City officials said the planned installation of new trash bins will target areas with high foot traffic, such as Gwanghwamun Gate and Yeouido, as well as around bus stops where trash tends to overflow due to restrictions on bringing beverages onto the buses.
The number of public trash cans will rise gradually each year, officials said, reaching approximately 5,500 from the current 4,956 by the end of this year, 6,500 by 2024 and 7,500 by 2025.
An official from the city government anticipates the project budget to double next year, compared to this year's 7.2 million won ($5,300), with discussions still in progress regarding the budget allocation.
