With rapid urbanization and rising income level, the total waste volume in Korea has increased at an unprecedented rate. As landfill and incineration could no longer handle all the wastes being generated, the Korean Government finally introduced the Volume-Based Waste Fee (VBWF) for garbage disposal in 1995, with the goals of reducing wastes and encouraging recycling. The VBWF system is a policy of providing an economic incentive for people to reduce the amounts of garbage they dispose of and increase the amounts of materials by making them pay fees in proportion to the amounts of garbage they generate.
Two Decades in Effect: Volume-Based Waste Fee System in South Korea introduces the histories, major features and characteristics and accomplishments of the VBMF system in Korea, which were introduced to minimize the amounts of wastes and encourage recycling. It has already been 22 years sins the VBMP system became part of Koreans' daily lives. Over these years, the scope of system's application has expanded to include not only general household garbage but also food wastes. The VMBF system for food wastes was introduced additionally in 2013.