Waste disposal and waste management in Japan is different from many other countries. In order to protect the environment and save resources, it has developed its own waste sorting system. Measures to improve the recycling system are being taken both at the national level and by local administrations, which helps to safely process waste and return recyclable waste to the production cycle.
For a foreigner just starting to live in Japan, the main problem with garbage is understanding the rules for sorting and removing it. A landlord may also be concerned about whether a foreigner will follow the rules and take out trash at the designated time, so it's best to read the rules or have someone explain them to you. We will talk about the general features of waste processing.
Garbage sorting
The problem of waste disposal has always been extremely pressing for Japan. A small territory, high population density - in such conditions a lot of waste is produced, and there is simply no room for the formation of new landfills. The solution was the transition to a waste-free lifestyle for all citizens of the country at the same time.
Today in Japan there are four main categories of waste: recyclable, bulky, combustible and non-combustible. In each municipality of the country, in practice, waste disposal is carried out according to special rules. In some of them you have to sort more carefully. For each type of waste, bags of a specific color are used. Typically, waste of different categories is collected on certain days.
A machine that picks up a certain type of waste will not accept other waste from citizens. For incorrect sorting, you can safely expect a fine; in some places, sanctions can apply to the entire municipality.
Experts spoke about the improvement in the situation with Covid-19 in the country
There is enough talent for more than one season of the show “Come on, all together,” as the singers prove
Five “oddities” that most strike foreigners about Russians
About the rules of garbage disposal in Japan. How to properly throw away garbage in Japan?
Probably the first thing that strikes you when you come to Japan is its amazing cleanliness. Houses, parks, roads, sidewalks, cars - everything seems like figures of a toy city. Of course, climate plays a significant role here. Slush weather, where you have to kick the brown slush of melted snow with your feet, is quite rare in most of Japan. But the human factor is also of great importance: a clear waste disposal system is the key to cleanliness. And although the younger generation sometimes shows a deviation from these norms, we definitely have a lot to learn from the Japanese.
So, in this article we will talk about the Japanese waste disposal system. Let's start with the fact that the attitude towards garbage in Russia and Japan is different. I think this is largely due to the size of the countries. Imagine that you have a huge mansion with countless rooms. Will you worry about where to put things that become unnecessary over time? Hardly. Most likely, everything unnecessary will go into the pantry, and if that’s not enough, then into one of the empty rooms. Residents of a one-room apartment will think ten times about whether to purchase a new thing, and if what they purchased has become impossible to use for its intended purpose, they will try to come up with another use for it. Here you can throw away trash and forget about it, but in Japan you have to live with it. That's why the idea of recycling is so popular here. Garbage is even used to “build” islands (Yumenoshima Island near Tokyo).
The word “garbage” itself will be in Japanese (gomi).
It is often written in katakana for purposes of emphasis. The word “garbage bin” is formed by combining the words “garbage” ごみ (gomi) and “box” 箱 (はこ, hako) - ごみ箱 (ごみばこ, gomibako). When combined, the first consonant sound in the word hako is voiced.
Let's take a walk around the Japanese city and see what and how you can throw away here.
Garbage bins in Japanese parks
It would seem that the more trash cans, the cleaner it should be. But the Japanese system demonstrates the opposite. On the contrary, there are much fewer ballot boxes here than in Russia. This is explained by the main rule reflected on numerous signs: We’ll take the trash with us!”
And very often such posters can be seen next to trash cans.
Seems absurd? Why put a trash can and ask not to throw garbage in it? Let's imagine such a situation. You bought obento (prepared lunch) at a store near your home and decided to have a snack on a bench in a nearby park. After eating, you put the plastic packaging, used chopsticks, and napkins into a bag, looked at the trash can standing next to it and... You went home with your bag! This is what most well-mannered Japanese will do. The same goes for outdoor recreation. No matter how many bins are on the beach, the Japanese family will put the leftovers from the picnic into bags and load them into their car. The urn can be used in emergency situations. In other cases, we throw out the garbage at home.
By the way, about the verb “throw away”. In Japanese it would be 捨てる (すてる, suteru), but the expression ごみを捨てる (gomi o suteru) usually means “to throw away according to the rules,” to put garbage in a designated place.
The word ポイ捨て (poi sute) is used to mean “throwing out of order.” The second part is the stem of the verb 捨てる (suteru), and the first - ポイ (poi) - is often used in speech addressed to children and means to throw, swinging, without looking. Throwing away without thinking is prohibited in Japan. On many posters you can see the inscription ポイ捨て禁止 (ぽいすてきんし, poisute kinshi). 禁止 (きんし, kinshi) means "forbidden".
Those who are planning not only to come to Japan for a long time, but also to bring their pet here, need to know that during your walks you will have to take with you the “garbage” left by your pet. 「犬のフンの後始末を」(いぬのふんのあとしまつを, inu no fun no atoshimatsu wo) – the inscription on the same poster calls on us: “Take responsibility for your dogs’ excrement!”
Urns near Japanese shops
Near stores you won’t find bins into which you can throw everything. This is where the Japanese waste sorting system comes into its own.
Garbage is divided into two large categories: combustible garbage - 燃えるゴミ (もえるごみ, moeru gomi) and non-combustible - 燃えないゴミ (もえないごみ, moenai gomi).
Non-combustible waste includes:
- glass bottles – 瓶 (びん, bin);
- aluminum cans – 缶 (かん, kan), sometimes the word あきかん (akikan) is used – empty cans;
- plastic bottles – ペットボトル (pettobotoru).
Here is a photo of trash cans located near one of the stores of the famous 7-Eleven chain.
The words on the second and third boxes are familiar to us: カン (here the word is written in katakana) are aluminum cans, ペットボトル are plastic bottles. The pictures on the first box tell us the meanings of new words. 紙くず (かみくず, kamikuzu) – paper waste, scraps; 割り箸 (わりばし, waribashi) – disposable chopsticks. That's all you can throw away. It is clear that the bins are placed for waste left after using goods purchased in the same store.
The following photo shows trash cans located outside a supermarket.
Here you can throw away 牛乳パック (ぎゅうにゅうパック, gyu:nyu:: pakku) - paper milk cartons and 食品トレー (しょくひんトレー, syokuhin tore:) - tray packaging s from products. As you can see, these trash cans are also designed for waste from what you purchased at this supermarket. Don't forget the main rule: take your trash with you!
Household waste disposal system in Japan
But what to do with the garbage that needs to be “taken with you”? And how to dispose of household waste? There are two important things to remember here: when to throw away and what to throw away. We will dwell on these questions in more detail, but for now we will answer a simpler one - where to throw it away.
If you are lucky enough to live in a private house in Japan, you will notice that the garbage, sorted and put into bags, is placed next to the house, covered with a net that protects from the wind. At a certain time, a garbage truck arrives, stopping in front of each house and picking up the garbage left behind.
If you live in a dormitory or apartment building, then you will need to take the garbage to a specially designated place, which is usually located outside the building itself. No garbage chutes!
Now let's look at a poster with the rules for throwing out garbage from one of the Osaka apartment buildings.
The top column is called 曜日・回数 (ようび・かいすう, yo:bi・kaisu:) – days of the week, number of times.
Let's remember what the days of the week are in Japanese.
- 月曜日 (げつようび, getsuyo:bi) – Monday;
- 火曜日 (かようび, kayo:bi) – Tuesday;
- 水曜日 (すいようび, suiyo:bi) – Wednesday;
- 木曜日 (もくようび, mokuyo:bi) – Thursday;
- 金曜日 (きんようび, kinyo:bi) – Friday;
- 土曜日 (どようび, doyo:bi) – Saturday;
- 日曜日 (にちようび, nichiyo:bi) – Sunday.
What other expressions do you need to know to understand this graph?
- 毎週 (まいしゅう, maishyu:) – every week;
- 第... (だい, dai...) – suffix of ordinal numbers;
- 週/月 … 回 (しゅう/ つき… かい, syu:/tsuki … kai) – per week/month … once.
Also in this column it is noted no later than what hour the garbage must be thrown out. When describing time in Japanese, the first half of the day is usually called first: the first is 午前 (ごぜん, gozen) or the second is 午後 (ごご, gogo). Then the hour is indicated - 時 (じ, ji) - of course, there is no question of minutes in case of garbage disposal. And at the end they add a postposition まで (made), which means “before”. How do we translate the inscription 午前9時まで (ごぜん９じまで, gozen ku ji made)? "Until 9 o'clock in the morning."
Let's move on to the next column 区分 (くぶん, kubun) - division, classification. It describes what general groups discarded garbage is divided into.
So, on Tuesdays and Fridays they throw out burnt garbage - 燃やす (もやす, moyasu), in this particular example the transitive form of the verb is used. Below, in parentheses, it is explained that this includes 生ごみ (なまごみ, namagomi) - food waste; 台所ごみ (だいどころごみ, daidokoro gomi) – literally “kitchen garbage”, garbage that is generated in the kitchen. The word など (nado) means “and so on.”
Every environment you can throw away プラ製容器包装 (ぷらせいようきほうそう, puraseiyo:kiho:so:) - plastic waste that has a symbol on the packaging that says プラ (pura).
On the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, you can also throw out 古紙 (こし, koshi) and 古布 (こふ, kofu). If you are already familiar with the topic “Adjectives in Japanese,” then you will probably remember that the first character appears in the adjective 古い (ふるい, furui) - “old”. We have also already seen the second hieroglyph in the word 古紙 on the trash cans of the 7-Eleven store, and it means “paper”. The hieroglyph 布 is new to us; it means “fabric, matter.” Thus, waste paper and old fabric products can be thrown away into the environment.
What can be thrown away on Thursdays is divided into three groups. Almost all the words here are already familiar to us; we analyzed them while looking at the photograph of “7-Eleven”. Only the last word is new - ガラス (garasu), which means glass, glass products.
The next column ごみの種類 (ごみのしゅるい, gomi no shyurui) - “Types of garbage” - tells in more detail (with pictures) what kind of garbage belongs to each of the above categories.
The last column is called “Important points regarding the method of ejection” - 出し方の注意点 (だしかたのちゅういてん, dashikata no chyu:iten). The mere presence of this column shows how attentively the Japanese treat the problem of garbage.
Let us also add that the disposal of the types of waste listed above is free. But there is also “paid” garbage. To get rid of it, you need to pay a set amount and receive a special sticker from the city hall confirming payment. For example, parting with a blender, landline phone or umbrella cane will cost 300 yen (about 150 rubles). A fee is also charged for the disposal of furniture, large household electrical appliances (refrigerators, stoves, etc.), the remains of pets and garbage that is not included in the “free” categories.
So in Japan, the advice is very relevant: before you buy an item, think about how you will get rid of it!
We hope that our article helped you get an idea of how carefully the Japanese care about maintaining cleanliness. In conclusion, we offer several tasks for those who want to test themselves.
Exercise 1
Look at the poster and say on what day of the week, how many times a month and at what time you can throw out this type of garbage.
Task 2
Look at the photo and tell me on what day of the week a resident of an apartment building in Osaka can throw out this garbage. Explain your opinion.
There are so many new words and hieroglyphs that it’s easy to get confused! But we know how to help you - fill out the form below and get access to free lessons! ↓
We recommend:
Bulky waste
The most difficult category of waste is bulky. If a Japanese person has purchased new furniture and wants to get rid of the old one, he must leave a request with the department that deals with this issue. Typically, disposal of bulky waste is charged separately.
Large household appliances in Japan also cannot be thrown away just like that. The most convenient way is to take it to the store when buying a new one. An alternative option is to bring it to a specialized collection point. In any case, the owner of the household appliance pays for disposal. In some regions, you can pay for the service in a store, receive a sticker and, after sticking it on the device, take the equipment to the garbage truck.
Separate collection everywhere
Street trash cans in Japan look quite unusual. You can also throw out only sorted garbage in them. Typically, such a trash can consists of 3-4 compartments. All product packaging is marked for proper disposal. Many outdoor trash cans have shaped holes. For example, if a container is designed to collect plastic bottles, it will not accommodate any other type of packaging.
Trash sorters
To ensure that guests of the country also comply with the rules of separate collection, the Japanese installed special trash cans on the streets: the holes in them are made so that nothing other than what they are intended for goes in there.
If the bin's compartment is designed for tetrapacks, you won't be able to squeeze a glass bottle in there.
In order to make it clear what category of waste this or that garbage belongs to, all product packaging has markings that tell you where to throw it away.
For example, the yogurt label states that the lid should be thrown into plastic waste and the cup should be thrown into combustible waste.
Burning garbage
The international community still does not approve of this waste disposal option, such as incineration, due to its harm to the environment. But in Japan today the most advanced waste incineration plants operate successfully. Waste is disposed of using the plasma gasification method. The garbage is exposed to a stream of plasma heated to 1200 degrees or more. With this treatment, toxic substances are neutralized, and tars and other combustion products are not produced.
Vegans tend to have weaker bones, researchers find
The most beautiful princess of Soviet cinema is 70: how the life of Dodo Chogovadze turned out
10 cult objects that were invented specifically for filming (photos)
When an incineration plant operates, it produces electricity and a large amount of ash used in construction. Today in Japan, garbage is a type of resource. And this definition is not just a beautiful phrase, but a clear description of the current reality.
The population also has a special attitude towards waste processing complexes. Modern factories look like real masterpieces of architecture. They are organically integrated into the landscape of cities and have their own infrastructure. Social organizations can work at the incineration plant. There are excursions to the enterprise itself, and well-appointed recreation areas often appear around it.
Where and when to throw it away?
In Japan, as a rule, there are no containers where you can throw garbage at any time. There are special places for garbage, where you need to take out garbage only at certain hours on certain days (for example, before 10 a.m. on Wednesdays). The garbage collection schedule is set by the local administration, and it should be found directly at your place of residence. It often happens that burnable waste can be thrown out twice a week (for example, on Monday and Thursday), non-burnable waste and recyclable waste - once a week, paper and cardboard - once every two weeks.
During the New Year period, city services may not work, and the garbage collection schedule should be clarified - it may turn out that the garbage cannot be thrown out during the week, and this is worth taking into account.
As an example, we can suggest that you familiarize yourself with the waste disposal rules on the page of the administration of the city of Sapporo (Hokkaido) in Russian.
Garbage collection areas
Below we provide links to waste sorting instructions for the 23 special administrative districts of Tokyo (in English unless otherwise noted).
- Bunkyo
- Chiyoda
- Chuo
- Minato
- Shibuya
- Shinjuku
- Taito (in Japanese)
- Edogawa
- Katsushika
- Koto
- Sumida
- Nakano
- Nerima (in Japanese)
- Setagaya
- Suginami (in Japanese)
- Adachi
- Arakawa
- Itabashi
- Kita
- Toshima (in Japanese)
- Meguro
- Ota
- Shinagawa
(Article in Arabic published February 18, 2021)
Second life of garbage
The ash obtained from burning waste is a valuable raw material. It is pressed into large blocks and then used in construction. There is already an island called Odaiba in Tokyo Bay built from this material. The implemented project can definitely be called successful. After all, an elite residential complex is located on the “garbage” island today. Pressed slag from waste incineration plants is also used for the construction of buildings and other structures.
Russian scientists will invent a device for detecting Covid at home
In the style of Lady Gaga: unusual shoe models for women's feet
Sheets and lanterns: Maggie gave her kids an unusual movie night
About 18% of waste in modern Japan is properly recycled. Paper and glass waste is used to recycle paper and glass containers. Plastic has a greater number of options for a second life; it is used to make workwear, building materials, and carpets.
Garbage thieves
Speaking of the USSR. After all, the Japanese fairy tale in the form of a waste-free society is nothing more than the Soviet experience adopted by the Japanese. Families collected waste paper and scrap metal, empty bottles, and schools and businesses competed on a recycling collection plan. These are the origins of the Japanese anti-garbage concept. Why was it safely buried here?
Article on the topic
The country needs cleaning. How to dispose of waste that cannot be burned? “The answer is simple,” continues M. Kharlamova, “there are no interested parties, because the processing industry is not well developed. But the main question is: who should pay for organizing collection and transportation? Obviously, the one who will make a profit is the processor.
For example, in Moscow and the region there is already competition in the collection of PET packaging. There is a struggle for filled containers, sometimes they are even stolen. This is because industrial processing of this type of waste has been established. Metal is also collected, and aluminum cans are generally a waste product that is in short supply! You won't find one at the training ground!
The problem is mainly with plastic packaging such as film, bags, polystyrene foam (food substrates), which are impossible or difficult to recycle, especially when they are contaminated with food waste. I believe that such packaging should be prohibited by law! No waste - no problem. Or the manufacturer’s financial responsibility for the disposal of such waste has been increased - whoever produces it should pay.”
Article on the topic
Waste turns into income! When will waste turn into a profitable industry in the capital? And everything that cannot be recycled must be burned. Japanese waste incineration plants are high technology. Most of them are not furnaces, but treatment facilities. So the air and the environment do not suffer, and the gardens around the factories are fragrant. The energy generated during combustion is used to power the plant itself and other enterprises. And even the ashes are put to use - islands are poured out of it, where prestigious residential areas are built.
And in Japanese schools, cleaning classrooms and toilets is an integral part of education. From an early age, children are taught to take care of the cleanliness of common areas. As a result, in adult life, the Japanese follow the instilled habit of automatically cleaning up after themselves, no matter where they are - at home or at the stadium. “I teach at the university, teach chemistry at school, and I can say for sure: until ecology becomes a compulsory school subject, like mathematics and the Russian language, we will have problems with waste and the environment! - says M. Kharlamova. “Environmental safety is no less important than the country’s defense!”
Fans of the Japanese team clear up trash after the match. Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexey Filippov
Zero waste
Despite an effective waste recycling system, the Japanese population and authorities are still concerned about this problem. In many municipalities today, a popular trend is to minimize waste production. Today, the average Japanese person produces about 1 kg of garbage per day. That's a lot. The zero-waste lifestyle philosophy in Japan is called mottainai.
Today, every conscious citizen can take steps towards achieving this goal. It is important to refuse disposable products in favor of reusable items. Try to buy plastic bags as little as possible. Any modern person can act in this way.
If you want to yell at your child, you need to go into another room: how to restrain yourself
A young chess player from Tomsk passed the standard for the 3rd youth category at the age of five
With ham and beans: a delicious salad that will help you get in shape
For the Japanese, this is not entirely simple; for many years in the country, all goods were sold carefully packaged in several layers of cardboard and polyethylene. Today, many stores are embracing this new way of thinking. Often in a supermarket you can pick up a green token at the entrance. The customer should simply add it to their cart and the cashier will then know that no shopping bag is required.
Mottainai philosophy
Japan recycles 90% of its waste, but is still concerned about its quantity. According to statistics, the average Japanese person produces about a kilogram of garbage every day.
Realizing that it was impossible to recycle everything, the Japanese decided to follow the example of other countries and implement a “zero waste” program. Its essence is to reduce as much as possible not only waste, but also the materials used in general.
The idea of “mottainai” has been spread in society, which says: “Don’t throw it away until you’ve used it completely.”
In the town of Kamikatsu, the government is introducing the idea of completely eliminating disposable products. In 2003, the municipality began to actively implement a special structural reform aimed at reducing the number of disposable goods. The ultimate goal is to make the city completely waste-free by 2021.
Now 60% of Kamikatsu's population have chosen reusable products, which has significantly reduced the amount of waste. By the way, every merchant is required to report annually on what he personally has done to ensure that his customers are less likely to purchase, for example, plastic bags.
The secret of Japanese success
Garbage reform was carried out in the country quite quickly, and the results are impressive. About half a century ago, Japan had serious problems with garbage and the standard of living of the population in general. The government has developed a set of measures that can quickly correct the situation.
The population expected global modernization and perceived it positively. People moved en masse to new, more comfortable homes. Together with housing, we received a more comfortable urban environment and got used to treating garbage responsibly.
What Japanese waste processing technologies are relevant for Russia?
In Russia, the problem of garbage remains relevant today. The situation is especially deplorable in large cities. The most common option for “disposal” of waste in our country is burial. In regions with high population densities, old landfills have already exhausted their resources, and there is simply no room to accommodate new ones. Incinerators are just emerging today as an experimental option for waste disposal. This industry must develop using the most modern technologies.
The area of waste recycling also deserves attention. Plastic, glass and paper can and should be used as recyclable materials. In Russia today there are enterprises engaged in processing such waste, but they are still not enough. The successful development of all these endeavors requires the consciousness of the population and the widespread introduction of separate waste collection. This practice is gradually being introduced in many regions.
Found a violation? Report content
Didn't share - paid a fine
Mountains of garbage near bus stops outside the city, landfills in ditches, garbage along the roads in Russia cause indignation, disgust - in short, anything but surprise.
But the Japanese fans at the World Cup were surprised by cleaning up after themselves and others in the stands. To be fair, let’s say that not only our fellow citizens, but also many foreigners were amazed at the “cleanliness”. And... they began to do the same. Article on the topic Garbage topic. How waste recycling is organized in the Russian Federation and abroad The Japanese themselves could not understand why others were so surprised by their desire for cleanliness. In Japan, garbage collection, recycling, and the profession of “garbage man” are considered prestigious and respected. But simply throwing something unnecessary into the trash is unthinkable for any Japanese. And even illegal. Empty containers must be washed, dried, and compactly placed in transparent bags of a certain type. Separately, food waste, hazardous waste, etc. The Japanese extract even non-ferrous metals and iron mainly from garbage. End-of-life players, mobile phones, TVs and other junk in Japan are not trash, but a valuable resource. Plastic is used to make new bottles, containers and even... clothes. The Japanese Olympic team uniform will be made from just such plastic waste. Almost all glass is recycled: light and dark bottles are again turned into containers, and colored glass is crushed and used for rubberized road surfaces and paving slabs.
Question answer
When will we build waste incinerators?
When is it safe to dispose of? The Japanese shared their experience in recycling waste Read more
