South Korea is set to significantly expand a program that allows residents to safely dispose of expired or unwanted medication simply by dropping it into a mailbox. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Mar. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea is set to significantly expand a program that allows residents to safely dispose of expired or unwanted medication simply by dropping it into a mailbox, reducing environmental hazards from improper disposal.
According to the Ministry of Environment, as many as 43 municipal governments across the country could adopt the “Postal Service Pharmaceutical Waste Recovery” initiative by the end of this year. Ten local districts in provinces across the country recently applied to implement the system.
These newcomers will join 33 districts, including all 25 boroughs in Seoul, that have already partnered with Korea Post to offer the mail-back disposal service. Once enrolled, residents can return unused drugs by sealing them in prepaid envelopes distributed at pharmacies, clinics and community centers, then depositing the packages in any standard mailbox for postal workers to collect.
Unlike general household waste destined for incineration, pharmaceutical waste is classified as hazardous and requires proper disposal protocols to avoid contaminating the environment and potentially disrupting ecosystems. Improper disposal can even breed antibiotic-resistant “superbug” bacteria.
Residents can return unused drugs by sealing them in prepaid envelopes distributed at pharmacies, clinics and community centers, then depositing the packages in any standard mailbox for postal workers to collect. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
A 2016 report by the National Institute of Environmental Research highlighted cases where residual anti-inflammatory drugs decimated vulture populations across South Asia, while hormone traces from birth control pills impaired fish reproduction in a Canadian lake experiment.
Despite such risks, a 2018 survey found over half of South Korean respondents had simply discarded leftover medication in general waste bins, sewers or toilets, while just 8% returned them to designated collection sites.
Nationwide pharmaceutical waste collection volumes have risen gradually from 346 metric tons in 2017 to 415 tons in 2021. However, that remains a small fraction given South Korea’s highest-in-OECD drug consumption levels.
Rural areas in particular have struggled with lack of access to return locations and delays in municipal pickups from pharmacies, prompting some drugstores to refuse additional collection.
The postal service program aims to solve those bottlenecks by tapping Korea Post’s extensive national logistics infrastructure. During a 2022 pilot in Sejong, collected pharmaceutical volumes more than doubled year-over-year to nearly 12 metric tons, while disposal costs plunged over 90% compared to prior third-party processing fees.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
