At 12:45 pm on July 28th, on the third floor of Pusan National University (PNU)’s Comprehensive Research Building. Just after lunchtime, several people came out of nearby laboratories, carrying piles of delivery food waste. After they left, reporters looked inside the trash can and found half-eaten rice bowls, salads, and disposable containers soaked with sauces and soup, all tied up together in plastic bags. Although the trash can appeared clean with its lid closed, a sour, unpleasant odor spread the moment it was opened.

The issue was not limited to the Comprehensive Research Building. Throughout August, “Channel PNU” inspected around 18 major buildings on campus during lunch and dinner hours, and found that food waste was being discarded together with general and recyclable waste almost every day. Because PNU lacks both dedicated facilities and clear guidelines for food waste disposal in each building, cleaning staff have been forced to deal with it temporarily by mixing leftovers into regular trash bags or by dumping them down the drain. Although students have complained about foul odors and pests, PNU stated that the problem stems from “a lack of awareness among campus members” and said it has no plans to implement separate countermeasures.

According to “Channel PNU”'s investigation on November 7th, the amount of food waste generated during dinner hours was about 1.5 times higher than at lunchtime. At several research buildings including the Science and Technology Building, Comprehensive Research Building, Research and Lab Building #2, Research and Lab Building, and the Faculty Office Building, food waste was found left unattended inside and around regular trash bins. During the exam period, the Saebyeokbeol Library becomes filled with plastic cups containing leftover drinks overflowing from the trash cans.

The situation becomes even more serious during the semester. In buildings frequently used by students, such as Moonchang Hall and the Student Union Building, disposable containers with leftover soup and food scraps were left on or beside trash cans, and even in stairwells and hallway corners right after mealtime. According to cleaning staff, buildings where students stay late into the night, including the Fine Arts Building, the Construction Building, and the Social Sciences Building, tend to generate especially large amounts of food waste during exam periods.

Students also expressed discomfort over the situation. Shin Seo-Hyun (Department of Oceanography, 23) said, “Even when food waste is tied up in plastic bags and thrown into trash cans, it still causes problems. But I often see food thrown outside the cans. When the weather is hot and humid, insects swarm around it, and it’s really unpleasant to see.” Jeong Gi-Uk (Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 21) shared a similar view: “I usually spend time in my department student lounges or the Student Union Building, and I’ve noticed that food delivery waste increases especially during exam periods. When food piles up over the weekend or late at night, it stays there until the cleaning staff’s next shift, which makes the area smell terrible and attracts a lot of bugs.”

■About 150 Liters of Food Waste a Day

Because there are no designated collection facilities or disposal guidelines for food waste on campus, cleaning staff assigned to each building have no choice but to manage it on their own. Cleaning staff member A who has worked in one of the buildings for several years said, “There’s no separate place to dispose of food waste, so we pour leftover liquids directly into the trash cans and flush the solid scraps down the toilet.” Other cleaning staff working in different buildings gave similar accounts: “Since there’s no proper way to deal with it and we’re always pressed for time, we end up dumping the soup into nearby drains, collecting the leftovers in black plastic bags, and mixing them with general waste in standard plastic garbage bags.”

They admitted that, although they are aware that such practices violate regulations, they have no alternatives and fortunately, waste collection companies have not raised complaints. In the absence of designated facilities and clear disposal guidelines, the responsibility for food waste management has effectively fallen on the cleaning staff.

According to cleaning staff who directly collect food waste, the amount of food waste generated on PNU’s Busan campus varies by building but is by no means small. Cleaning staff member B, who had also worked at other universities, explained, “Just from the trash can placed near the back door of the College of Humanities, about 200 to 300 liters of mixed general and food waste are collected. Of that amount, roughly 150 liters are food waste alone.” He added, “At my previous workplace, the amount ranged from about 40 liters to 50 liters, so PNU produces a considerably larger volume in comparison.”

As cleaning staff are forced to handle such large amounts of waste on their own, their workload has also significantly increased. Cleaning staff member A said, “Many people leave food waste piled on top of the trash cans, which makes collection and cleaning challenging and produces a strong odor.”

Environmental team leader C, who manages the Humanities Building and the Faculty Office Building, said, “It’s exhausting to clean up the grease and sauces from food waste dumped in restrooms, as they stain the floors and toilets.” He added, “Since students are the ones who use campus spaces the most, the inconvenience will ultimately fall on them if this problem continues. I hope there will be at least an opportunity to discuss how to properly deal with food waste together.”

■PNU: “Eating in Lecture Halls Is Inappropriate”

In response to the situation, PNU attributed the food waste problem to the improper behavior of campus members, emphasizing a shift in awareness rather than improvements to facilities. The Division of General Affairs stated, “Eating in lecture halls or laboratories is itself inappropriate. The issue arises from spaces where eating is not allowed in the first place.” The division added, “Rather than creating food waste disposal systems or facilities, it is more important to raise awareness among campus members so that they follow the rules. Since the problem occurs mainly in specific buildings, not across all facilities, and does not affect every student, there are no plans to introduce a uniform countermeasure.”

However, some students argued that ordering delivery food on campus is practically unavoidable. In Hye-Myung (School of Chemistry, 24) said, “For buildings located on the upper part of the campus, such as the Chemistry Building or the Student Union Building, it’s realistically difficult to go down off the hill just to eat. Even on weekdays, most student cafeterias in Geumjeong Hall and the Student Union Building, as well as restaurants near the North Gate, close in the evening, so the only option left is to go all the way to the Main Gate area.” He added, “It takes at least 20 to 30 minutes just to walk down to the Main Gate, and if you include the waiting time after ordering, it easily takes over an hour before you can even start eating. It’s not only a waste of time, but with delivery app memberships offering free delivery, there’s hardly any practical alternative to ordering food.”

In fact, food delivery has become one of the most common dining options not only for university students but also for the general public. With the rise of user-friendly delivery apps such as Baedal Minjok (Baemin, A Korean food delivery company) and Coupang Eats, ordering food has become easier, and faster delivery times have increased overall satisfaction with the service. Aggressive marketing strategies, including free delivery, discount coupons, and membership benefits offered by major delivery platforms, are also considered key factors driving the expansion of the delivery market.

Reporter Song Min-Soo

Translated by Seo Young-Chae