Japan: Sorting Trash Article

NYT article (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/international/asia/12garbage.html)

Where's Chidori (FMP) when you need her?

From the article:
"In cities, though, not everybody complies, and perhaps more than any other act, sorting out the trash properly is regarded as proof that one is a grown-up, responsible citizen. The young, especially bachelors, are notorious for not sorting. And landlords reluctant to rent to non-Japanese will often explain that foreigners just cannot - or will not - sort their trash."

Yup, if you really want to impress your neighbors (especially as a male gaijin), learn to sort your trash correctly--does wonders for relations. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[gilly]

Where do they put all the recycling bins in those small apartments?

Missorting was easy to spot, given the required use of clear garbage bags with identification numbers.

Now, that's anal.

[jmarken]

[ QUOTE ]
gilly said:
Now, that's anal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Japan can be *really* anal sometimes. I like Japan a lot, but that article really irritates my inner libertarian. It's not so much the extensive rules (though it's that too), it's the vigilantes that enforce them! Sheesh!

[guyverfanboy]

Sweet Jesus. I'd have a heart if I was Japanese and lived in Japan. So many rules... /images/graemlins/knowital.gif

[wingednike]

[ QUOTE ]
gilly said:
Where do they put all the recycling bins in those small apartments?


[/ QUOTE ]

My cousin has small containers stacked on top of each other above the trash can. One container for bottles, cans, etc

[ayumu]

[ QUOTE ]
gilly said:
Where do they put all the recycling bins in those small apartments?

[/ QUOTE ]
I have a garbage can that has two compartments, one stacked on top of the other, for burnable and non-burnable trash. I throw all my recycling together and then separate it into the proper bins when I take it out. It sounded like the guy in the town with the 44 categories was doing that--sorting them after he got to the location, I mean.

[ QUOTE ]
Missorting was easy to spot, given the required use of clear garbage bags with identification numbers.
Now, that's anal.

[/ QUOTE ]
In Chiba, we just have spaces on the garbage bags, where we're supposed to write our name and address. But nobody bothers. Garbage in Chiba is relatively laid back.

[Kaikou]

I'm in an apartment in Ikebukero right now and I'm having to split up the trash into recyclables, cumbustibles, and incombustibles.

[wrex]

[ QUOTE ]
Smashingblue said:
I'm in an apartment in Ikebukero right now and I'm having to split up the trash into recyclables, cumbustibles, and incombustibles.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yokohama was pretty lax (just combustibles and bottles/cans), but here in Tokyo, I have to split things up into combustibles, incombustibles, bottles/cans, cardboard boxes, and newspapers/magazines. It's not much of a hassle after you get used to throwing things into different bags.

[Kintaro]

I recently read something about 10 new categories being introduced herer in Yokohama...I actually sort between plastic and paper, the landowner does the rest.

[quenelf]

[ QUOTE ]
wrex said:
Yokohama was pretty lax (just combustibles and bottles/cans), but here in Tokyo, I have to split things up into combustibles, incombustibles, bottles/cans, cardboard boxes, and newspapers/magazines. It's not much of a hassle after you get used to throwing things into different bags.

[/ QUOTE ]

There have been rumours of attempts to require people to recycle in the UK too, but I don't think it's actually been done yet. Where I am we have 3 categories ('rubbish', glass, and recyclable cans/paper/card/plastic bottles, which all go together) but some people still just put everything in the black rubbish sacks and this is not yet a hanging offence; nor do we yet get up neighbourhood lynch mobs to burn the inconsiderate bastards to death amid piles of their own unsorted refuse. Give us time, though. In fact, I may begin recruiting today!

Back to Japan - I can see how in a small flat it's not a big deal (and I guess most Japanese live in small flats) as you can just go to the appropriate bin/box when you want to get rid of something, but in an actual house (where you might normally have several waste bins so that you don't have to go half way around the house to throw something away), it might be a bit annoying? I mean you don't want to have 5 different bins or even a stacked 5-layer bin in every room. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

--quen

[Skywise]

When I lived in Japan I sorted it this way:

- PET bottles
- pringles cans
- everything else

I never knew if there was specific days for specific garbage, and of course I couldn't even begin to read the booklet someone had downstairs that explained the sorting (if there was a more advanced method to it I never figured it out). The stores everywhere always used clear plastic bags whenever you bought something so there was never really a problem with whoever was picking up the stuff not knowing what was inside at least.

Incidentally we do sort of sort our trash here in Norway as well. Paper and cardboard go into a huge orange bag that we put out for pickup once a month I think. When you buy something to drink here included in the price of a bottle is a small deposit, which you get back when you recycle it at the local store. It's a nice bit of incentive for people to recycle, and it actually works. Colored and clear glass without deposits (and metal cans and the like) are thrown in special container.

IMO going with deposits on items may be the way to go for re-training people to recycle, when they don't live in a society as conscientuous as Japan.

[Vertical_Ed]

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ayumu-chan said:
I have a garbage can that has two compartments, one stacked on top of the other, for burnable and non-burnable trash. I throw all my recycling together and then separate it into the proper bins when I take it out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pin pon. This was what I used to do. No big deal really I already do that here in the Bay area where we should be sorting plant waste, recycling, batteries and garbage anyway (and in the bay area the city gives us all of those containers).

[DrMM]

[ QUOTE ]
nekobus said:
NYT article (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/international/asia/12garbage.html)

Where's Chidori (FMP) when you need her?

From the article:
"In cities, though, not everybody complies, and perhaps more than any other act, sorting out the trash properly is regarded as proof that one is a grown-up, responsible citizen. The young, especially bachelors, are notorious for not sorting. And landlords reluctant to rent to non-Japanese will often explain that foreigners just cannot - or will not - sort their trash."

Yup, if you really want to impress your neighbors (especially as a male gaijin), learn to sort your trash correctly--does wonders for relations. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

The thing is, some of my roomates refused to sort their trash properly. I had a series of roomates -- the first two (we had a 3 bedroom apartment) were really good about trash (until the last few weeks). However, when the next set of roomates came in, they refused to sort properly and we ended up getting complaints about it. Somehow, I ended up being the person 'at fault' because I'd been there the longest. It royally pissed me off because I'd point out that plastic isn't burnable and they'd say 'who cares?' and we'd get yet ANOTHER complaint.

True, Japan is really anal about garbage and my part of Nagoya had a reputation of being even stricter than most areas but it was very frustrating. I so don't miss those roomates. If the attitude of those roomates was similar to the attitude of most foreigners, I don't blame them for being concerned about it since my roomates were a horrid example.

[Skywise]

I think you got the blame because you're the "sempai". It's basically your responsibility to make sure the new ones follow rules etc. Of course that doesn't really work that well with gaijin who don't have much respect for authority to begin with.