Japanese town leads the way to a low waste society by recycling and not adding incinerator
When the
landfill in Osaki, in the southwest of Japan, reached capacity, an incinerator
was the logical next step. Instead, the town decided to get serious about
recycling. Ahead of International Zero Waste day, marked on 30 March, Kasumi Fujita, a town councillor committed to
Osaki’s low waste policies, told UN News what inspired her.
UNIC Tokyo/Ichiro Mae Citizens recycling in Osaki, Japan
Fujita moved to Osaki in 2021 to work with the municipality, business
sector and local community to help prepare the town for a more sustainable
future. Today, Osaki, with a population of around 12,000, recycles a remarkable
80 per cent of its waste, and was able to avoid building an incineration plant.
“I have always wanted to work for something related to the climate
crisis, and strongly felt that I needed to act. That is why I came to Osaki.
Here, waste is sorted into 27 different categories. Since there is no
incineration plant, only blue bags go directly to the landfill without getting
incinerated, whilst the other 26 categories are sorted and recycled properly.
For example, plastics will be separated into different types and then
compressed. The compressed waste will then be taken to recycling factories all
over the country.
We can all make a
difference
Food waste is collected three times a week with a blue bucket. It is
crushed into smaller pieces. Pruned plants will also be brought in here, and they
are mixed together with the food waste. The pruned plants contain many native
microorganisms. As they decompose, the waste turns into a rich compost, almost
all which is used as on Osaki’s farms.
I think the process is very simple and can be practiced anywhere in the
world. In fact, our process has been introduced to Indonesia: Osaki Town
officials and the recycling centre staff went there to demonstrate our
techniques for separating and composting food waste. This may become a solution
to a problem that many developing nations face right now.
I really feel people should learn more about the process of what happens
to products after we use them, and how complex the issue of waste is. At the
same time, they will realize that we can reduce waste. Businesses and local
governments also need to understand the situation. We have to mobilize everyone
to make a difference.”
Courtesy: UN News