The Rhythm of Circulation Woven by Suburbs: Machida City's Perspective on Separation of Wastes in 2003

The Rhythm of Circulation Woven by Suburbs: Machida City's Perspective on Separation of Wastes in 2003

Machida City was one of the first municipalities to start sorting cans, bottles, paper, plastic, and 11 other items in the third phase of the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law, which began in fiscal 2003. With Toshima Ward and Ome City following suit, and Kunitachi City and Okutama Town expected to follow suit in the following fiscal year, it was imperative to raise the quantity and quality of sorting with citizen participation, while accommodating the growing population and expanding collection areas due to suburbanization. With the volume of waste generated expected to increase in the entire metropolitan area, the key was to secure the volume of resources to be converted to resources as soon as possible and stabilize the operation. Onsite, collection efficiency was improved through the use of multi-chamber packer trucks, vehicle-mounted measurement and route optimization, and a review of the layout of collection points, while quality was ensured in the sorting process
through magnetic, eddy current, and near-infrared sorting, specific gravity and wind sorting after crushing, and compressed packaging. Plastics are optimally allocated according to end-use demand by using different materials and chemicals for each material. On the policy side, LCA-based planning support makes costs and environmental impact visible, and for business systems, manifest management and visualization of good disposal companies ensure traceability and fairness. Through careful feedback at the time of violations and learning in schools and neighborhood associations, we have anticipated an urban model that combines suburban livability and resource recycling.