Another Man’s Trash..

Ok, I might have spoken about Doosan before and how we walk through the apartment complex either walking the dog or on our way somewhere.

 

What I might not have talked about is the garbage system here.  It seems silly to talk about, but it is a distinct part of living here. 

 

There are several types of waste depositories.  First is the “food” trash.  This is for anything of an edible nature.  I believe this trash is taken to composting for the local farms.

 

Next is the recycling.  To say “recycling” though sounds a little to simple for the complex nature of Korean recycling.  There are trash cans for every aspect of that recycling—glass, Styrofoam, plastic, metal, cardboard, paper, etc—and supposedly, everything is put in the correct bin. 

 

Third is the “everything else” trash and it is anything that doesn’t fit in the previous categories.  In American terms, this is the garbage in the kitchen. 

 

The last, and I consider the most interesting, type is the larger items needing a special sign so they get picked up.  This sign means “free to a good home” in my American brain.  So far we have picked up (literally) a computer chair, a computer, one umbrella-holding “kimchi pot”, one nice white faux-leather chair, two Korean tables (low to the ground for eating at the floor level) and now an older model—but still in great working order—TV. 

 

No I said in one of my last posts that people throw this stuff out as a way of promoting their status (ie “If I can throw it out, I must be rich”), but it can also be attributed to the lack of a U-haul rental location or the fact that it costs soooooo much to move an apartment to a new location here in Korea.  I think buying new things is as cheap if not cheaper than moving all the stuff.  Plus, who wouldn’t want to completely furnish their new apartment with new things?

 

For those of you keeping Charity in your prayers, thank you so much.  She has been feeling much better and as yet we have not gone back to see the doctor. 

 

Next week is our spring/Easter break and we are excited to have the time off.

 

More to come…