CASE #010: The Chicken Bone Bin

In Korea, do chicken bones go in the food waste bin?

The parties are fictional. The evidence is real.

VERIFIED FACTS

Every sentence here links to an official source you can open.

The verdict

GUILTY

No. Seoul's Geumcheon-gu district office lists bones from beef, pork and chicken as general waste that goes in the standard trash bag, not in food waste. The same goes for shellfish and crab shells, eggshells, the pits of peaches and other stone fruit, and used coffee grounds and tea leaves.^[1]

1 official source: Geumcheon-gu Office, Seoul (금천구청)Checked Oct 29, 2026

The evidence

Chicken bones, clam shells, a peach pit and coffee grounds laid out as evidence

Exhibit A

Geumcheon-gu: bones from beef, pork and chicken go in the general standard trash bag.

Exhibit B

Geumcheon-gu: shellfish and crab shells and eggshells also go in the general trash bag.

Exhibit C

Geumcheon-gu: so do the pits of peaches, apricots and avocados, and used coffee grounds and tea leaves.

Questions people ask

Do coffee grounds go in food waste?

No. Geumcheon-gu lists used coffee grounds and tea leaves as general waste for the standard trash bag.

What about onion skins?

Geumcheon-gu lists dry outer onion skins, garlic stalks, corn husks and ginger peel as general waste.

DRAMATIZATION

This part is made up for fun. Names, people and events are fictional.

The case

A roommate in rubber gloves holding a trash bag and a sleepy roommate tipping chicken bones into a food waste bin

PlaintiffThe Roommate Who Sorts

DefendantThe Roommate Who Dumps

Timeline

Fri 10:30 PMFried chicken night. One whole chicken, half-and-half.
11:45 PMThe defendant tips the whole box of bones into the food waste bin.
Sat 8:00 AMThe plaintiff lifts the lid, sees the bones, and closes it again, slowly.
8:01 AMA group chat named 'House Rules' gets a new message. The case is filed.

The claims

Plaintiff: The Roommate Who Sorts
Bones are not food waste. Everyone in this building knows that.

Defendant: The Roommate Who Dumps
It was food. Now it is waste. Food waste.

A pug judge in a powdered wig hears a roommate with a trash bag accuse another of dumping chicken bones in the food waste bin

The court's sentence

GUILTY. BONES ARE NOT FOOD WASTE.

SentenceThe defendant must fish every bone out of the food waste bin, with gloves, while the plaintiff narrates. Next chicken night, the bones go straight into the general trash bag.

Sources

Source 1
Geumcheon-gu Office, Seoul (금천구청)
음식물쓰레기 종류별 배출요령
www.geumcheon.go.kr/portal/contents.do?key=818
Published Oct 2, 2026Checked Oct 29, 2026
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