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 1990s, Japan was under pressure to reduce its environmental impact and shift to resource recycling, while still holding on to the structure of mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal that had been in place since the high-growth period. 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, a steady decrease from 91 million tons in FY1991. This means that efforts by local governments and companies have gradually begun to show results.

Looking at the breakdown of emissions, sludge, manure, and construction waste accounted for 80% of the total, and the handling of construction by-products in particular had become a social issue. At that time, urban redevelopment and public works projects were flourishing, generating large amounts of construction waste, and it was also a time when systems and technologies to promote recycling were gradually coming into place. In addition, the increase in sludge resulting from the spread of sewage systems was serious, but technologies for composting and the use of construction materials were being explored.

Behind this was the development of the Basic Environmental Law and recycling-related laws that had been underway since the early 1990s, beginning with the Law for the Promotion of Utilization of Recyclable Resources (Recycling Law) in 1991, followed by the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law in 1995, which marked the beginning of building a recycling society based on citizen participation. In addition, with the rise of environmental awareness and the influence of international global environmental conferences, waste disposal shifted from mere "disposal" to reuse as a "recyclable resource.

The decrease in the final disposal volume shown in the FY1996 figures was symbolic data that showed that the shift to a recycling-oriented society was beginning to be seen as a real policy outcome. It can be said to indicate a historical turning point from conventional "landfill dependence" to "resource recycling.