Following the ban on direct landfilling of household waste in the metropolitan area of Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, local governments are turning to private processing facilities for waste disposal, which may pose serious financial risks. According to an analysis conducted by environmental NGOs on December 12, the average cost of private incineration, excluding transportation fees, was found to be 147,355 KRW per ton. Alarmingly, there is a threefold difference in rates from the same private service providers, with Incheon’s Ganghwa County entering a contract costing 259,500 KRW per ton, while Gyeonggi's Hanam city managed to negotiate a rate of just 84,734 KRW per ton for the same service.

The public has expressed concerns regarding the increasing financial burden placed on local governments and citizens as they navigate these contracts, considering that the contracted rates for public incineration previously averaged around 140,000 KRW per ton. The new contracts with private companies not only escalate costs but also suggest that waste treatment prices might fluctuate drastically based on negotiating power, potentially leading to unpredictable expenses for municipalities.

The financial implications of sending waste out of local jurisdictions for treatment have also become apparent, with the average internal handling cost being 140,121 KRW per ton compared to 154,952 KRW for external processing, highlighting a significant jump in expenses. This difference, along with additional transportation costs associated with long-distance waste hauling, further exacerbates the financial pressures on local governments, raising concerns about sustainability and fiscal responsibility in waste management practices.