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South Korean recycling kiosks leave nearly $1M in rewards unclaimed

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September 29, 2026

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South Koreans have accumulated about 1.2 billion won ($885,000) in unclaimed rewards from kiosks that collect plastic bottles, according to an SBS News report. The machines award 10 won (less than 1 cent) per bottle, but users generally must accumulate at least 2,000 won (about $1.50) before they can receive cash. Some operators set the threshold at 3,000 won (about $2.20).

An operator told SBS that staffing limits and the volume of small transactions make it difficult to pay out every balance. The report also found cases in which local governments paid to install kiosks, but users lost access to their rewards after the companies operating them went out of business. Unlike those programs, the government's carbon-neutrality rewards program makes monthly payments without a similar minimum.

About 2,300 bottle collection machines have been installed across South Korea since the program began in 2017, according to SBS. Lawmaker Lee Hak-young called for central government oversight of the unclaimed funds.