Pyeongtaek City Reduces Food Waste Through Unit-based Pricing System

Pyeongtaek City announced on the 10th that it has achieved a 35.5% reduction in food waste generation as a result of operating an individual-weighing unit-based food waste pricing system from September to November of last year.

In relation to this, Gyeonggi Province selected Pyeongtaek City's pilot food waste pricing project as an exemplary case for the province at a December meeting with representatives from cities and counties implementing food waste pricing systems.

Pyeongtaek City also presented its implementation achievements at the meeting, receiving positive response from attendees with the favorable results. Gyeonggi Province designated Pyeongtaek City as a model institution for cities and counties in the province to visit and learn from.

A city official stated, "Pyeongtaek City will expand the pilot areas of the individual-weighing system by the end of 2011 and establish a framework for full implementation starting in 2013 to reduce food waste."

Meanwhile, Pyeongtaek City has switched its food waste management policy direction from post-treatment focusing on collection, transportation, and recycling promotion to pre-emptively suppressing food waste generation at the source (Ministry of Environment). In accordance with this policy shift, the city has set a target of reducing food waste by 20% in 2013 and is currently piloting the food waste pricing system.