Not long ago, life in Kamitkatsu revolved around the rice crop and tourists arriving to soak in the waters of the local hot spring. Now, the tiny village in Japan has a new obsession: rubbish. Since 2003, Kamikatsu’s 2000 residents have embarked on a quest to be become Japan’s first zero-waste community. Here, all household waste must be sorted into no fewer than 34 categories before being taken to a recycling centre.
Glass bottles must be relieved of their caps and sorted by colour. All bottles, cans and even plastic food wrappers must be washed thoroughly and newspapers and magazines have to be piled in neat bundles tied with a twine made from recycled milk cartons. Any waste that cannot be turned into compost is taken to the zero-waste centre which accommodates a dizzying array of items, ranging from bottles, cans and newspapers to crockery, batteries, diapers, pens and mirrors. Things that can be reused end up at the Kuru Kuru recycling store, where residents are free to drop off or take home free of charge whatever they like, mostly clothes, crockery and ornaments. All but a few categories of rubbish are recycled. Wooden chopsticks are pulped and made into paper, and cooking oil reappear in fertilizer. Batteries are shipped to a recycling centre on the northern island of Hokkaido, while glass and ceramic ware and light bulbs are buried in landfills. The village, 595 km from Tokoyo, was forced to change the way it managed its waste in 2000 when strict emission regulations forced it to shut down its two incinerators.
“We were no longer able to burn our rubbish, so we thought the best policy was not to produce any in the first place,” said Mr Fujii of Zero Waste Academy which oversees the recycling scheme.
Despite initial opposition, the movement has many enthusiastic participants.
“At first, it was very hard work. It took ages to sort out everything but it comes naturally now,” 65-year-old Kikue said, as she emptied a bowl of vegetable peeling into her electric garbage disposal unit.
According to official figures, Kamitkasu’s recycling rate has soared from 55 percent a decade ago to around 80 percent today. Not everyone is happy though. Critics point out that some of the disposal units use electricity and that most residents take their rubbish to the zero waste centre by car. It was also reported that 40% of residents were still unhappy about some aspects of the policy.
“We still have opponents, particularly because almost everything has to be washed,” Mr Fujii said.
“All we can do is talk to the doubters and explain why it is important. I think consciousness is growing that this is a good thing; that it’s not just the right thing to do but the only thing to do.”
Adapted from “Japanese village wastes nothing"
The Straits Time, 9 August 2008
Glass bottles must be relieved of their caps and sorted by colour. All bottles, cans and even plastic food wrappers must be washed thoroughly and newspapers and magazines have to be piled in neat bundles tied with a twine made from recycled milk cartons. Any waste that cannot be turned into compost is taken to the zero-waste centre which accommodates a dizzying array of items, ranging from bottles, cans and newspapers to crockery, batteries, diapers, pens and mirrors. Things that can be reused end up at the Kuru Kuru recycling store, where residents are free to drop off or take home free of charge whatever they like, mostly clothes, crockery and ornaments. All but a few categories of rubbish are recycled. Wooden chopsticks are pulped and made into paper, and cooking oil reappear in fertilizer. Batteries are shipped to a recycling centre on the northern island of Hokkaido, while glass and ceramic ware and light bulbs are buried in landfills. The village, 595 km from Tokoyo, was forced to change the way it managed its waste in 2000 when strict emission regulations forced it to shut down its two incinerators.
“We were no longer able to burn our rubbish, so we thought the best policy was not to produce any in the first place,” said Mr Fujii of Zero Waste Academy which oversees the recycling scheme.
Despite initial opposition, the movement has many enthusiastic participants.
“At first, it was very hard work. It took ages to sort out everything but it comes naturally now,” 65-year-old Kikue said, as she emptied a bowl of vegetable peeling into her electric garbage disposal unit.
According to official figures, Kamitkasu’s recycling rate has soared from 55 percent a decade ago to around 80 percent today. Not everyone is happy though. Critics point out that some of the disposal units use electricity and that most residents take their rubbish to the zero waste centre by car. It was also reported that 40% of residents were still unhappy about some aspects of the policy.
“We still have opponents, particularly because almost everything has to be washed,” Mr Fujii said.
“All we can do is talk to the doubters and explain why it is important. I think consciousness is growing that this is a good thing; that it’s not just the right thing to do but the only thing to do.”
Adapted from “Japanese village wastes nothing"
The Straits Time, 9 August 2008
