Plastic a thorn in South Korea's side as waste problem piles up

South Korea has a waste problem.

The country used to export its recycled waste: it exported nearly 200,000 tonnes of plastics in 2017, about two-thirds of which went to China.

But since China banned imports of almost all recycled waste, piles of trash have begun to accumulate in cities such as Hwaseong.

In order to combat the problem, the government has banned disposable plastic bags in supermarkets and single-use cups in cafes and fast food chains.

TRT World's Bruce Harrison has more.