South Korea: Smart trash cans prevent food waste

Several cities in South Korea have begun installing chips in trash cans to help detect households that throw away too much food. Violators face heavy fines.

Food waste is considered a problem.

Food waste is a growing problem. In the US, for example, 40% of food is thrown away, equivalent to 9kg of food per person per month. The most commonly thrown away food is fruit. In South Korea, the government has been implementing a campaign to combat food waste since 2013 after realizing that it could lead to a significant increase in pests.

In Seoul, residents now have to swipe RFID cards to throw their trash in bins. The chips contain the user’s name and address, allowing the government to track the amount of waste produced. Previously, the cost of trash was flat, but now those who throw away more trash are charged much higher prices.

The city also imposed a fee on those who bought more than one garbage bag. These combined measures have helped Seoul reduce food waste from hotels and restaurants by 40 percent and from households by 30 percent.

Besides South Korea, other countries are also taking measures to deal with the above waste, especially in Europe, Australia and France.

According to khoahoc.tv