Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture - Establishment of Recycle Plaza, June 1995

Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture - Establishment of Recycle Plaza, June 1995

In Japan in the mid-1990s, amid the economic stagnation that followed the collapse of the bubble economy, efforts to address environmental issues were becoming a major social challenge. In 1991, the "Recycling Law" (official name: Law Concerning the Promotion of Utilization of Recycled Resources) came into effect, and in 1995, the "Containers and Packaging Recycling Law" was enacted. The enactment of the Law for Promotion of Utilization of Recycled Resources in 1991 and the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law in 1995 provided an opportunity to directly instill recycling awareness at the citizen's daily life level.

The Takamatsu City Recycle Plaza, established by Takamatsu City in Kagawa Prefecture during this period, was conceived not as a mere waste disposal facility, but as a center where citizens could learn about and experience the creation of a recycling-oriented society. With a total floor space of 570 m2, the facility includes a corner for making paper from used paper, an exhibition area for recycled products, a learning space with educational materials, and other facilities designed to help both children and adults enjoy themselves and become aware that waste is a resource.

The background of this project was the "Five-Year Plan for Waste Reduction" and the "Zero Garbage Campaign" that were being promoted nationwide at the time, and it is clear that Takamatsu City was also trying to form a recycling-oriented society at the local level with citizen participation. The facility also served as a center for interaction among citizens, and became a place for environmental learning in conjunction with local events and school education.

The opening of the Recycle Plaza symbolized the shift from a waste management system that focused solely on treatment and disposal to a recycling-oriented society built on citizen cooperation. 1995 was a turning point, and Takamatsu's efforts were a pioneering example of a "recycling society based on citizen participation" that spread from local cities to the rest of Japan. It can be said that Takamatsu's efforts were a pioneering example of a "citizen-participatory recycling society" that spread from local cities throughout Japan.