The only thing growing faster than attendance at Korean baseball games? Stadium waste

A recent survey conducted by local chapters of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM) has exposed the extensive use of disposable products in South Korean professional baseball stadiums. Across nine stadiums in eight cities, a staggering 349 out of 351 food and beverage vendors, or 99.4%, rely on single-use items. Only a single vendor nationwide was found to operate exclusively with reusable alternatives.

The findings were announced at a press conference outside the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) headquarters in Seoul. Among the stadiums assessed, SSG Landers Field in Incheon showed the most promising efforts in waste reduction, with 50% of its vendors using at least some reusable items. In contrast, Samsung Lions Park in Daegu and Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan were ranked as the worst offenders.

At seven of the nine stadiums, every vendor used disposable products. Gocheok Sky Dome and Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul recorded slightly lower, though still high, usage rates of 97.6% and 98.7%, respectively. The survey also noted that all 233 vendors offering utensils used disposable chopsticks, forks, and skewers, with no reusable options available.

Environmental groups also pointed to systemic issues in stadium waste management. While most stadiums provide separate bins for general and recyclable waste, few offer comprehensive sorting for common items like paper, plastic film, PET bottles, and food waste. Furthermore, the absence of public drinking fountains at any of the surveyed stadiums forces spectators to purchase bottled water, contributing to the plastic waste problem. Based on these findings, only SSG Landers Field received a "good" grade for waste reduction efforts, while stadiums in Busan and Daegu were rated "poor."