Seoul fights with waste

Many districts in Seoul, residents are waking up with odors. Containers that collect the food waste are overflowing.  Since January 7, food waste management firms are refusing to take out the garbage, asking an increase over 50 percent charges. Korean government has prohibited the firms to dump food waste into the ocean starting this January.

Even though Korean government joins the London Convention and Protocol in 1993, it allows the waste management firms to throw garbage into the ocean due to the lack of landfills and concern for the ground water contamination. Also the cost of dumping garbage into ocean is 90% cheaper than burying it in the land. 

However, since the Korean government decides to follow London Convention & Protocol this year, the battle has started.People are suffering from insanitary condition in their area, and children are exposed to the health risk. 

City of Seoul has 25 districts, and the heads of 16 districts got together last week, and requested Central Government to step in and settle the feud.

A city spokesman said,"Under the current system, each district office renews a contract with a disposable firm every year. The city government is not involved in contracts".

Ministry of Environment will hold a committee to discuss the matter on coming January 17.

It is sad that our government acts on the Protocol finally after 20years since it joined. Even sadder is that only a week's practice, the step to save environment faces the huge problem of cost.  I sincerely wish that the issue will be resolved in eco friendly terms.

* London Convention and Protocol

The "Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972", the "London Convention" for short, is one of the first global conventions to protect the marine environment from human activities and has been in force since 1975. Its !--object--ive is to promote the effective control of all sources of marine pollution and to take all practicable steps to prevent pollution of the sea by dumping of wastes and other matter. Currently, 87states are Parties to this Convention.

In 1996, the "London Protocol" was agreed to further modernize the Convention and, eventually, replace it. Under the Protocol all dumping is prohibited, except for possibly acceptable wastes on the so-called "reverse list". The Protocol entered into force on 24 March 2006 and there are currently 42 parties to the Protocol.

Source: The Korea Times, The Cho-Sun Daily, The Joong-Ang Daily, etc.

Image: Google image.