Japan

Present Status

A Japanese produces 370 kgs of household waste a year. Approximately 4 percent, or 15 kgs, were recycled in 1992. But in the past few years, the Japanese have been among the top paper-, can- and bottles-recyclers in the world. New laws for recycling all consumer-goods packaging will surely increase the recycling rates.

One kilo garbage a day, paper not included. This is what each and every Japanese person leaves as waste. Multiply that with a population of some 126 million people on this California-size island - and the threat of having to live in the shadow of a trash mountain in the future seems very real. In fact, eight years from now and the nation's waste dumps will be full. Itīs in the nick of time Japan is starting to recycle. In april 1997 a new law, the Packaging Waste Recycling Law, took effect. Now the townships and municipalities must collect cans, containers, glass bottles, PET bottles and milk cartons, and the households are obliged to sort their waste and bring it to containers provided. But it is the companies who have the responsability to recycle the packaging waste they produce. Sorting their waste is nothing new to the Japanese. The Law for Promotion of Utilization of Recyable Resources from 1991 took one step towards a more sustainable community.

Recycling is not new to the Japanese either. They are among the top waste paper- and can-recyclers in the world. In 1994 some 52 percent of all paper was recycled. Waste paper is usually taken care of by recycling-companies and not by the authorities. The recycling-rate of aluminium-cans was 61 percent and steel-cans 70 percent. The same year almost 56 percent of all glass bottles were recycled and made into new bottles. The consumers bring them to collecting places and sort colored and non-colored glass. And for beer bottles that can be reused the recycling rate is as high as 97 percent, for sake-bottles 83 percent. The new law will stress recycling of PET bottles, styrofoam packages and nickel-cadmium batteries - these items will probably be brought back to the store. Many municipalities and stores are already providing recycling facilities for these items. In 1994, 24 percent of all styrofoam products were recycled and 22 percent of the batteries were taken care of. In 1992 only 50 gr per kilo garbage each person produced every day was recycled. Now the recycling-rates are expected to rise quickly.

In Tokyo for example, citizens already sort their household waste into two categories: combustible waste and noncombustible waste, such as cans, bottles and plastic products - for further transport to the city dump.
Designated collection places are usually on nearby street corners, and the waste has to be brought there in garbage cans on special days.
Single person households and two workers households are excepted though - the authorities assume these households often are unable to collect emptied garbage cans from the collection places and they can therefore bring their garbage in bags...
There are special rules for the noncombustible waste. Glass, pottery and cutlery should for example be packed in thick paper marked with danger to prevent cleaning personnel from being injured.
Bulky household objects, such as TV sets and refrigerators have to be brought to the local refuse collection office. A small fee, 200-600 yen is charged.
Dead pets are more expensive to get rid of. For 2 500 yen dogs and cats weighing less than 25 kgs are cremated and interred.

Household recycling rate
in Japan in percentage
Paper 51.7 (1994)
Glass 55.6 (1994)
Beer bottles 97 (1993)
Sake bottles 83.2 (1993)
Steel cans 69.8 (1994)
Aluminium cans 65.7 (1995)
Plastics 10.8 (1992)
Styrofoam packages 24.2 (1994)
Nickel-cadmium batteries 22 (1994)