How South Korea became the champion of food waste recycling Every year, 1.4 billion tons of food waste are discarded worldwide, with the majority ending up in landfill. Food waste accounts for some 6 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Since the beginning of the year, France has made it mandatory for food to be separated from other waste at source. But according to official figures, only one in three French citizens are able to do so. By contrast, South Korea made food waste recycling mandatory back in 2005, becoming a model for other countries. So how did South Korea become the champion of food recycling? Our regional correspondents report.