Keeping Jeju clean with Save Jeju Bada
Written by Han Ju-Young and Ella Kaill
Just 60 miles south of mainland Korea lies Jeju-do—a semi-tropical island with a distinct culture and dialect, home to Korea's highest mountain, Hallasan. Known for its idyllic views and sandy beaches, Jeju attracts domestic and international tourists seeking a sweet escape from polluted city life all year round. The coastlines are peppered with must-visit photo spots among volcanic rocks, the dazzling blue sea behind a complimentary backdrop. However, in recent years Jeju has faced issues with overcrowding and overtourism creating far too much litter. The debris slowly encroaches on the island's scenery, to the point that shutter-bug tourists have a job keeping litter out of the frame.
Jeju's litter problem is made worse by the absence of rubbish bins on the beaches and along coastal trails. To throw away any rubbish, you have to go out of your way to purchase garbage bags. But, ocean waste like nets and buoys are too big and heavy for those bags. In that case, you need the red sacks used for ocean waste on Jeju, which must be purchased in bulk or collected for free at a community centre. If you manage to get one of those, you have to find out where you can put out the rubbish you've collected, since the ocean waste disposal system is different from general household waste. Even the pickup locations are different. If you pick up ocean waste and leave it in an undesignated place, it's unlikely to be properly disposed of. It's actually more likely that passersby will leave their litter on top of it. Trash attracts trash.
As the waste problem worsens yearly, it's not only the scenery that suffers. Mounting litter scattered around Jeju's beaches, coastlines, and in the sea poses a real threat to the entire ecosystem. Land and marine animals often mistake discarded plastics for food or get stuck in the debris. Discarded fishing nets sink to the seafloor, inadvertently trapping sea turtles and other marine life under them. In 2018, all six sea turtles found dead in Jeju's waters had plastic in their stomachs. If a viable solution to keep Jeju clean is not found soon, a huge risk faces the environment, wildlife, and ultimately, humans.
Fortunately, several organizations are trying to solve the litter problem and preserve Jeju's beauty and wildlife. Save Jeju Bada is a non-profit organization leading beach cleanups all over Jeju since 2017, open to everyone to join. They also run an unhelmed beach cleanup centre in Gimnyeong on Jeju, where you can find equipment to help you pick up ocean waste in your own time. So far, they have cleaned up over 32 tonnes of ocean waste, with the help of over 3,700 volunteers. After learning that most of the collected ocean waste is either incinerated or buried, they wanted to do something to reduce the amount of waste.
Over two years, they collected 1.9 tonnes of recyclable ocean plastic waste to be sent to a recycling plant on the mainland, where it was shredded, washed to remove salt and other contamination, then melted to be made into other products. In 2021, they successfully conducted "Happy Beach Funding," similar to crowdfunding, to produce camping boxes using recycled plastics. This year, they are working on an initiative to create toys made safely from recycled plastic for visually impaired children.
Ju Young Han, founder and CEO of Save Jeju Bada, explained how her experience of cleaning up ocean waste made her more aware of her own habits. "As you pick up the ocean trash, you get to know that it's no different than the rubbish you produce at home. That makes you aware of how much rubbish you produce and what kind of rubbish you produce." Awareness of those things can help you avoid buying unnecessary items and wasting food. Our individual habits can significantly impact the environment, and Ju Young encourages us to look introspectively to see how we can help. "Of course, just picking up trash cannot be the solution. It's true the biggest changes can be made by governments and big companies, but the fastest changes can be made by you."
For more information on Save Jeju Bada, follow them on Instagram @savejejubada.
