SEOUL, May 2 (Korea Bizwire) – Waste bins in South Korean public restrooms will soon be removed with a revision passed at a cabinet meeting Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the revision mandates that trash cans, which have been criticized for causing poor hygiene in public restrooms, be removed from individual stalls. The waste bins were previously placed as receptacles for toilet paper over toilet-clogging concerns.
The ministry said that the new statute will promote public convenience and prevent stench resulting from the bins, especially with most toilet papers nowadays easily breaking down in water. Female restrooms will be equipped with different bins for discarding personal hygiene supplies like sanitary pads, officials added.
The revision also requires that a sign be placed at the restroom entrance when a male janitor is at work inside a female restroom or vice versa, while urinals in male restrooms must be equipped with barriers 60 centimeters long and 40 centimeters wide, at minimum.
“We made improvements to small insufficiencies that we’ve discovered to better serve the public,” the ministry said.
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)