StudioLUF

 Snack bags often come with a recycling symbol, leading many to believe they are recyclable. However, the reality is quite different. Only a small fraction—around 10%—is processed, and even then, it rarely follows the traditional recycling path. Instead, these snack bags are diverted into alternative waste management methods. But what exactly happens to that 10%? The Four Ways Snack Bags Are "Recycled" 1) Incineration for Energy (Waste-to-Energy, WTE) Instead of being recycled into new materials, most snack bags are incinerated to generate electricity or heating energy. This method is widely used in countries like Japan and several parts of Europe. While WTE reduces landfill waste, it raises concerns over carbon emissions and air pollution. More importantly, many waste statistics classify this process as "recycling," even though it is fundamentally different from material recovery. 2) Upcycling Initiatives (e.g., TerraCycle and Brand Programs) Some companies and env...

 What’s the More Eco-Friendly Choice When We Take a Sip? One day, I ordered an iced coffee at a café. When I picked up my drink, I noticed something different—the straw wasn’t plastic but paper. “I guess they switched for environmental reasons,” I thought. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. But after a few sips, the paper straw started absorbing moisture, becoming soft and flimsy. “This is really inconvenient,” I muttered. Nowadays, many cafés and restaurants are replacing plastic straws with paper ones for a single reason: plastic straws are seen as an environmental hazard. But is plastic really such a major environmental problem? And is paper truly a better alternative? Are Plastic Straws Really the Main Culprit of Environmental Pollution? Plastic straws became a symbol of environmental destruction in 2015 when a viral video shocked the world. A marine biologist in Costa Rica filmed a sea turtle with a plastic straw lodged in its nostril, struggling to breathe as researche...

 Snack bags—technically classified as “recyclable waste.” But are they really recyclable? If you’ve read my previous post, you already know the harsh reality: snack bags are one of the least recyclable packaging types. So what can we do about it? Let’s explore the most common ideas people suggest. Rinse and Recycle—A Solution or a Waste of Time? First, rinsing and recycling. Some believe that if you rinse out snack bags before throwing them away, they have a better chance of being recycled. That sounds logical at first, but let’s take a closer look. Rinsing wastes water, it takes time and effort, and most importantly, even if you clean them perfectly, they still won’t be recycled. Be honest—how many people in the world actually wash their snack bags before throwing them away? Probably fewer than ten in a million. Even if someone does, it doesn’t change the outcome. In the end, they still end up in landfills or incinerators. Washing snack bags is nothing more than a false hope. It m...

  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 ...