Environment Struggles with Waste - A Turning Point in the Decline of Final Disposal Volume FY1996

Environment Struggles with Waste - A Turning Point in the Decline of Final Disposal Volume FY1996

In the mid-1990s, Japanese society was under pressure to change the "mass production, mass consumption, mass disposal" structure that had prevailed since the period of rapid economic growth. According to a survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the total volume of industrial waste in FY1996 amounted to about 405 million tons, of which about 37% was recycled, and the final disposal volume was 68 million tons, down from 91 million tons in FY1991. Sludge, manure, and construction waste accounted for 80% of the total, with construction by-products in particular becoming more serious as urban redevelopment and public works projects expanded.

At the time, sludge disposal became an issue with the spread of sewage systems, and technologies such as composting and the use of construction materials were explored. In addition, the development of recycling facilities and the use of recycled building materials for construction waste materials began to progress, which had a certain effect on waste reduction. In the background, recycling-related laws such as the Law for the Promotion of Utilization of Recyclable Resources in 1991 and the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law in 1995 were developed, and the institutional foundation for a recycling-oriented society was laid.

The decrease in the final disposal volume shown in FY1996 is a reflection of such policies and changes in social awareness. The decrease in the volume of final disposal in FY1996 was an actual numerical manifestation of such changes in policy and social awareness, and was symbolic of Japan's shift from a "landfill-dependent" to a "resource-recycling" society.