Response measures to the resource circulation society and the new climate plan must be prepared by the central government in conjunction with local governments. The future directions of such measures can be established by investigating and evaluating trends in waste disposal currently in use by various cities and provinces. Against this backdrop, the current status of municipal waste generation and disposal in 16 Korean cities and provinces was examined. Although the percentage of waste recycled has increased, the rate of increase is declining. The percentage of waste disposed of in landfills has declined over time, but some landfills have already reached their limits. The amount of waste incinerated has grown more than the amounts recycled or disposed of in landfills. It will soon be necessary to develop measures that further increase the percentage of waste disposed of via incineration and improve the recovery of incineration-related energy. All cities and provinces should strive to improve the operating performance of their incineration facilities while reducing operating costs.

• 박상우(저탄소자원순환연구소) | Sang-Woo Park (Low-Carbon & Resource Cycle Research Institute) Corresponding author