Japanese community goes zero waste
Talk about pushy. The mayor of the small town of Kamikatsu in eastern Japan has decreed community members must compost and recycle everything. What can't be composted has to be taken to a recycling center where they must sort their garbage into 34 recycling bins. The decision by Kamikatsu's mayor is partly economic. It costs the city less money to recycle and compost thoroughly than it does to incinerate the waste for energy.
But full responsibility for garbage falls on residents shoulders. The styrofoam trays used to hold meat have to be washed before being recycled; labels must be removed. Residents sort polyethylene teraphthalate bottles from other types of plastic containers because PET are more valuable. Pens and razors have boxes of their own.
Residents say composting and sorting does take more time, but they are more aware of what they throw out, what they use and how. The mayor of Kamikatsu says every community should follow his lead.
[via BBC]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-14-2008 @ 9:21AM
ryan said...
We wash our styrofoam trays before recycling them where I live in Japan too. I would guess that almost every city in the entire country does this. What we don't have is 36 bins for separating things into...
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7-14-2008 @ 11:01AM
Sea said...
That's interesting that you're able to recycle your Styrofoam. Any chance you know how it's recycled? And is your community also zero waste?
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7-15-2008 @ 8:58AM
anne said...
I am so very impresses. I wish people in my home town USA could care as much. I recycle as much as I can, but they have me beat by a mile. Can you even imagine this happening in America? People would be screaming about our rights. There would be an uproar from the union of sanitation employees. There would be more litter since so many people would think it easier to just dump it. If only they knew how important this really is. Congratulations.
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