To reliably treat combustible waste, the cement industry and incineration industry need to move from a conflict over quantities to a cooperative relationship.
Hong Su-yeol, director of the Resource Circulation Society Economic Research Institute, noted at the 3RINCs 2025 (The 3R international scientific conference on material cycles and waste management) international academic conference held at Shinhwa World on the first floor in Seogwipo, Jeju, on Dec. 12 at 10 a.m., "As the volatility and uncertainty in the combustible waste management market increase, conflicts among corporations that process combustible waste are intensifying."
Director Hong pointed out, "The waste management market should see the cement industry, pyrolysis industry, incineration industry, and solid recovered fuel (SRF) industry appropriately balance and partition their quantities to coexist, which would stabilize the national utilization of waste resources and maximize public interest," adding, "Ultimately, the incineration and cement industries both burn waste, but the public's anxiety and distrust regarding waste incineration is very high."
Between 2020 and 2023, the amount of waste from the cement industry increased by nearly 100 tons, and the conflict among industries has intensified with their claims of losing quantities to the incineration industry.
However, Director Hong explained that during the same period, private incineration facilities actually saw their incineration volume increase by more than 200,000 tons. Incineration facilities capable of processing 3 million tons are reportedly operating at nearly 2.9 million tons.
He said, "The issue is not that the cement industry has taken the quantities that enter the incineration facilities, but that the incineration companies are dissatisfied with the falling unit price of waste treatment," adding, "While a lower incineration unit price may not be favorable for incineration companies, the societal benefits can be seen as increasing."
Director Hong explained that in 2022, the amount of combustible waste generated was approximately 41 million tons, of which 3.2 million tons were landfilled. Out of the 2 million tons of household waste landfilled, 1.4 million tons were attributable to combustible waste.
With the passage of the waste management law amendment in 2021, starting next year, the metropolitan area will prohibit the direct landfilling of volume-based disposal bags. In response, each local government in the metropolitan area is pushing for the construction of new incineration facilities.
Notably, in Seoul, there are plans to add a new incineration facility with a capacity of 1,000 tons in Mapo. However, the initiative is facing difficulties due to opposition from residents. In 2023, the volume-based disposal bags landfilled in the metropolitan area reached 600,000 tons. Additionally, large incineration facilities in places like Guri and Suwon are expected to undergo renovations sequentially by 2030.
Director Hong explained, "Starting next year, landfilling of combustible waste will be prohibited, and 3.2 million tons of waste is expected to be additionally supplied to the waste management market," adding, "If we include non-combustible waste such as volume-based disposal bags, the amount of combustible waste will increase to 3.8 million tons."
Director Hong analyzed that while the establishment of new public incineration facilities is difficult, private incineration facilities have been suggested as alternatives, though he considered this merely a stopgap measure.
He stated, "Utilizing private incineration facilities as a stopgap to replace public incineration facilities allows residents to argue that there is no need to install public infrastructure, increasing the likelihood that the expansion of public incineration facilities itself will falter," and noted, "The crisis in the apartment waste plastic bag situation in the metropolitan area in 2018 led to the conclusion that relying entirely on the private recycling market is not effective in responding to market fluctuations."
Director Hong emphasized the need to analyze the statistics on the generation and processing of combustible waste, as well as the waste processing volumes of the cement and incineration industries, to seek stable market operation strategies.
Director Hong said, "Direct landfilling and incineration of combustible waste should be banned, and material recycling, pyrolysis, and energy recovery should be expanded through sorting mixed waste," adding, "The role of cement facilities will remain important for the stable management of combustible waste and energy recovery in the future."