Three Countries, Three Approaches to Recycling: Germany, Korea, and the USA

 

While scrolling through the internet, I stumbled upon an interesting photo. On the left, people were tossing all their household waste into a large metal dumpster. On the right, there was no dumpster at all—just an open area where trash was left in piles. The stark contrast made me pause. What kind of waste management system is this?

That question stuck with me. It made me reflect on how recycling works in Korea, where I live, on the system in Germany, which genuinely surprised me during my visit to Munich last year, and finally, on the system in the USA, where this photo was taken. How different are these three countries when it comes to recycling?

Germany – When Money Drives Recycling

When I first traveled to Munich, Germany, I wasn’t thinking about waste management. I was there for football—to see Kim Min-jae play in Germany and Son Heung-min in England. But one day, while staying at a guesthouse, I went to a local supermarket for water and snacks. The moment I checked out, I noticed something odd.

A 500ml bottle of water was labeled €0.50, yet my receipt showed I had paid €0.75. I frowned. Why am I paying extra?

The answer was Germany’s Pfand system. In Germany, an extra deposit (€0.25) is added to the price of plastic bottles and cans. Customers can return empty bottles to get the deposit back. At first, I was confused. Why is there a deposit on PET bottles? Then, I wondered if I should even bother returning them. Would I really go back to the store just to get a few coins?

But then, I did the math. I was staying in Munich for five days. That meant five bottles of water, plus one Coke Zero per day—ten bottles in total. Ten bottles times €0.25? That’s €2.50. Almost two banknotes. No way I was throwing that away.

So, I decided to try the Pfand machine for the first time. I inserted my empty bottles, and the machine displayed my refund amount. A receipt printed out, which I could use as cash at the checkout. Simple. Effective. And thanks to this system, Germany has an incredible PET bottle reuse rate of 95%, making it the #1 country in the world for plastic recycling.

Korea – The Hidden Strategy Behind High Recycling Rates

Germany leads in recycling, but Korea is not far behind. According to environmental consultancy Eunomia, Korea ranks #3 in global recycling rates. But unlike Germany, which incentivizes recycling with money, Korea took the opposite approach—by charging people for throwing trash away.

When I was around ten years old, Korea’s waste system was much like the USA’s today. People threw everything away in one big trash bag—no sorting, no separation. Then, one day, a news report shocked the nation: "Starting soon, Koreans will have to pay for official trash bags to dispose of household waste."

The reaction was explosive. People were outraged. "What? We have to buy trash bags just to throw things away?" At first, it felt like a ridiculous policy. But then, something interesting happened. Since people had to pay per bag, they naturally tried to reduce the amount of trash they produced. No one wanted to waste expensive trash bags on things that could be recycled for free.

Unlike Germany, where people are rewarded for recycling, Korea improved its recycling rate by financially penalizing excessive waste disposal. It worked. Today, Korea has a highly structured recycling system that separates plastics, metals, glass, and even food waste.

The USA – A Different Perspective on Waste Management

Now, let’s talk about the USA—the country shown in the original photo. Unlike Germany and Korea, the USA does not rank in the top 10 for recycling. Most Americans simply throw all their household waste into one large bin, including food waste. But why?

The biggest reason is land availability. Unlike smaller, densely populated countries like Korea and Germany, the USA has vast open land for landfill sites. Simply put, it’s cheaper and easier for the government to dump trash in landfills than to enforce strict recycling programs.

Another major issue is the lack of public education and infrastructure. Recycling rules vary wildly from state to state, and even city to city, leading to confusion and inconsistency in recycling habits. That said, some places, like San Francisco, have exceptionally high recycling rates thanks to strict policies and well-designed public programs.

Final Thoughts – It’s Not About ‘Who’s Better’

It’s easy to look at different countries and rank them based on their recycling efforts.

"Germany, amazing job! You’re the best at recycling!"

"Korea, you’re doing great too—very efficient!"

"America… uh, why are you still like this?"

But is it really fair to judge? Each country’s waste management system is shaped by history, economy, and geography. Germany encourages recycling with financial rewards. Korea reduces waste by making people pay for excessive trash disposal. The USA relies on landfills because they have the space and infrastructure to do so. Instead of pointing fingers, the real solution is to share best practices and find ways to improve together.

Because in the end, the goal is not just better recycling—it’s a cleaner, healthier planet for all of us.

What Do You Think?

How does your country handle recycling? Would you prefer Germany’s deposit system or Korea’s waste fee system? Or do you think there’s an even better way? Let me know in the comments!