Despite international recognition for its recycling efforts, South Korea’s challenges with plastic waste are coming into sharper focus as it prepares to host the INC-5 talks in Busan next week. The discussions will center on a potential global agreement to address plastic pollution, with contentious debates expected over whether the treaty should include limits on plastic production.
Countries like Saudi Arabia and China, major plastic and petrochemical producers, oppose such restrictions, advocating instead for improved waste management practices.
South Korea reports recycling 73% of its plastic waste, compared to the United States’ 5-6%, earning it praise as one of the top recycling nations. The MIT Technology Review even ranked South Korea as the only Asian country in the top 10 of its 2022 Green Future Index.
However, critics argue these statistics are misleading. Seo Hee-won of the Climate Change Center says the 73% figure reflects plastic that reaches screening facilities, without clarity on how much is actually recycled versus incinerated or sent to landfills. Greenpeace estimates the true recycling rate is closer to 27%.
The country’s plastic waste problem has grown significantly, with annual generation rising from 9.6 million tonnes in 2019 to 12.6 million tonnes in 2022—a 31% increase driven by the pandemic-related surge in online shopping and packaging.
Financial challenges have further hindered recycling. At a closed recycling facility in Asan, approximately 19,000 tonnes of untreated plastic waste remain piled up, emitting foul odors. Local officials attribute the issue to the facility owner’s financial difficulties, estimating cleanup costs between $1.43 million and $2.14 million—a low priority due to the lack of funding.
South Korea’s situation highlights the complexities and limitations of recycling-focused approaches, raising questions about the need for more aggressive measures to curb plastic production globally.
Russia provided North Korea with missiles and military aid in exchange for deploying 10,900 troops to support its war in Ukraine, some of whom have reportedly engaged in combat, according to South Korean officials.
North Korean troops, numbering 10,900, have been deployed to Kursk with Russian forces, some already fighting in Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said. The country has also supplied Russia with additional weapons, including howitzers and rocket launchers.
U.S. PresidentJoe Biden met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday at the APEC Summit in Peru. The leaders sought to solidify diplomatic progress amid rising tensions in Asia and potential shifts in alliances under a Trump administration.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalate as North Korea blows up inter-Korean roads and rail lines, prompting South Korea to fire warning shots. This comes after Pyongyang's pledge to fortify its border and accusations of drone incursions.
Azerbaijan has created favorable conditions for lasting peace, stability and reliable security in the South Caucasus, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in an address to the participants of the 12th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (I
Romania and Bulgaria may become full members of Europe's borderless Schengen travel zone in January 2025, Hungary said on Friday, adding a final decision would be made at next month's meeting of EU interior ministers.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee that an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu would "not be observed".
"Come up with the video in its full form," demands the COP29 CEO, Elnur Soltanov, in an exclusive interview with AnewZ. The chief executive has broken his silence on the claims he was using his position to organise potential fossil fuel deals.
Negotiations at COP29 in Baku face a critical impasse as sharp divisions over climate finance and fossil fuel commitments threaten progress.
The United Nations COP29 climate change conference in Baku seeks $1 trillion annually to help vulnerable nations tackle climate change, as political tensions and Argentina’s withdrawal overshadow talks.
Negotiations at COP29 in Baku face a critical impasse as sharp divisions over climate finance and fossil fuel commitments threaten progress.
Azerbaijan, hosting COP29, urged nations to bridge differences and finalise a financial deal to help poorer countries combat climate change. As the summit nears its end, divisions remain over funding commitments and the role of the US.
Azerbaijan has created favorable conditions for lasting peace, stability and reliable security in the South Caucasus, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in an address to the participants of the 12th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (I
Romania and Bulgaria may become full members of Europe's borderless Schengen travel zone in January 2025, Hungary said on Friday, adding a final decision would be made at next month's meeting of EU interior ministers.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee that an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu would "not be observed".
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