The garbage system of a given country, city, or neighborhood is very telling of that place’s value on environmental preservation. In Japan, it is something that citizens seriously adhere to and they even have a specific garbage disposal system that is highly organized and rather unique from all the other countries in the world. The Japanese government has established their own rules when it comes to disposing and recycling garbage that is difficult to follow at first but once you are able to fully implement it; even you would appreciate the system’s organization and excellence.
It can be concluded that the Japanese garbage system is far more advanced; hence recycling and properly disposing household waste is something that you need to learn if you live in Japan. Once you get used to the system, your life would be much easier in the future.
There are four categories of waste that the Japanese system observes when disposing off garbage. These four categories include combustible wastes or those that can be burned such as household food scraps, incombustible waste or those that cannot be burnt, plastic containers such as wrappings or plastic bags, and recyclable wastes like newspapers, magazines, tissue boxes, papers, among others. Needless to say, it is quite a complicated system but something that is observed by the Japanese citizens on a regular basis.
Aside from properly assigning the garbage materials according to the four categories mentioned above, there is also a set schedule of time for picking up the garbage. Hence, each household must be able to put out their garbage before 8am such that the garbage collectors could easily pick it up. However, you are not allowed to put it out the night before due to hygienic reasons and neighbors would complain about it if you do. There is also a separate scheduled pick-up for garbage materials that can be recycled such as papers, bottles, and cans.
A special bag is also required for containing your garbage to be collected and you can find them easily available in convenience stores or shops. For bulky items that you wish to throw away like old bicycles or home appliances, there is a scheduled pick up for them around twice in a month. In some cases, you’d have to settle a fee and coordinate with an agency that handles these items.
[...] Sorting our garbage and recycling in this way made me realize how much we took for granted the idea that we should be able to simply toss out whatever we want without a second thought. During those first days of garbage struggle and complaining, a good friend wondered why I thought it should be so easy to get rid of my garbage? It wasn’t easy to make the product (from absolute start to finish) although it was presumably easy to buy and use. I needed to see it through. Mottainai. [...]