What A Load of Rubbish! Part 1: Household Waste

Rubbish is big business in Japan and, operating under the "3R Initiative", there are strict rules that you should play by if you want to perfect your recycling game. With all the plastic that Japan gets through, it’s comforting to an eco-nut like myself that at least they purport to recycle it all. Whether they really do or not is another question, but either way, the rules must be followed!

The prospect of having to separate your garbage in nitty gritty detail is likely to worry newcomers to Japan, whose countries may have a slightly more relaxed approach to recycling, or at least what one might consider more consumer-friendly. It might seem daunting at first, but once you get into it, it can quickly become second nature. There's quite a lot to cover, and my attempt to fit it all into one article turned out to be a bit ambitious... so in the bin it went. But it did not go to waste! As with a lot of garbage in Japan, it has been broken down to be recycled and reused into a new form and much more manageable!

So let's get that rubbish conveyor belt running and start with an easy one: burnable garbage.

Although recycling can vary between cities and prefectures, burnable garbage stays fairly consistent throughout Japan. In Japanese it can be called moeru gomi, moyasu gomi, or kanen gomi, depending on the location, but all of these will be understood anywhere in Japan.

Below is an example of what can be thrown out in the burnable garbage.

Below are a few examples of garbage bags in Japan:

Other Rules to Consider:



1. Ensure that the weight of the refuse can be carried with one hand and tie the bag up.
2. Dispose of garbage regularly so as not to accumulate large amounts each time you do throw it out.
3. Remove water from kitchen waste before putting in the bag.
4. When disposing of cooking oil, soak it with kitchen paper towel or use a solidifier that you can buy in most supermarkets.
5. Remove excrement from diapers/nappies and flush down the toilet before throwing it away. 
6. Soak matches and fireworks, etc. before disposal.
7. Disposal of items that may contain should be kept to a minimum and placed in a separate bag before putting it in the garbage bag.

What Shouldn't I Put with Burnable Garbage?

Although I will go into more detail of Japan's recycling system in future posts, as a quick guide on what not to include in your burnable garbage, see the list below:

1. Plastic bottles and caps
2. Plastic containers (from ready meals, takeout, etc.)
3. Clean paper (you may notice some of your neighbours putting perfectly good recycling paper in with their burnable garbage, and in most cases it will probably be collected. However, we do not recommend this. Recycle what you can – it's what the planet needs!)
4. Cans
5. Electronic items that are powered from the mains
6. Highly flammable items such as lighters, petroleum, spray cans, etc. 
7. Acids and other chemicals 
8. Anything large that won’t fit in a bag. And no, sellotaping multiple bags together to dispose of that well-worn sofa will not work.

As much as we would love to hold your hand when throwing away your first garbage bag in Japan, it is a bit impractical, we are sure you agree. Do not feel too disheartened if the garbage men reject your refuse, but keep at it! You'll have plenty of opportunity to practise and we encourage you to follow the rules as best you can. Particularly if you live in a house, you'll most certainly have some eagle-eyed neighbours keeping a close watch on the newcomer's disposal prowess. Be considerate and show willing and it will definitely go a long way!

See you in the next one where we will go through the art of recycling.