Happyfeet members visited the Resource Recovery Facility (aka waste-to-Energy Facility/강남자원회수시설) in Seoul. The facility processes household waste by incinerating it at high temperatures to generate energy. The heat is converted into steam, which is used for district heating and electricity. This reduces landfill, lowers heating costs, and cuts down on fossil fuel use. Advanced filtering systems minimize air pollution, and real-time emissions data is shared with the public. However, we also learned that the facility is struggling to handle the overwhelming amount of waste it receives every day. It reminded us how important it is to reduce the amount of trash we produce in the first place. We had an informative guide who clearly explained the process and helped us understand both the benefits and the limitations of this system. It was an eye-opening and meaningful visit.

07/31/2025