Waste Management Challenges: From 1995 to the 2020s

Waste Management Challenges: From 1995 to the 2020s

In 1995, waste management in Japan's urban areas became a serious issue. At that time, approximately 47% of household waste in Tokyo was food waste, and about 21% of business waste also consisted of food waste. Effective strategies for reducing and recycling food waste were not yet established, and reliance on incineration and landfill disposal had reached its limits. The government formulated the "Basic Environmental Plan" aimed at a recycling-oriented society, promoting energy use from incineration and recycling by the early 21st century, but the recycling rate remained at a mere 3%.

Entering the 2020s, waste management issues have become even more severe. Major urban areas such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya have faced critical challenges in securing final disposal sites, with Tokyo's landfill estimated to have a remaining lifespan of about 20 years. Although Japan's overall recycling rate has improved to around 20%, many regions still lack sufficient sorting for plastics and metals, and further improvements are needed.

At the corporate level, companies like Suntory and Toyota have advanced efforts toward realizing a circular economy. Suntory has promoted the use of recycled plastic to increase the recycling rate of PET bottles and aims to achieve 100% sustainable PET bottles by 2025. Toyota Motor Corporation has made progress in reducing waste in vehicle production, cutting waste generation at domestic plants by about 50% compared to 2000 levels by the fiscal year 2019.

Additionally, JESCO (Japan Environmental Safety Corporation) in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, operates a facility to process PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) waste, advancing efforts to neutralize PCB waste collected from across the country. However, it is expected to take several more years to complete PCB waste processing nationwide.

Local governments are also implementing unique initiatives. In Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, projects are underway to compost food waste for reuse as agricultural fertilizer. This has reportedly reduced annual waste generation by about 5-10%. However, the high cost of facility installations has hindered nationwide adoption.

From 1995 to the 2020s, Japan has implemented various measures to reduce and recycle waste. However, to overcome the challenges in waste management, further technological innovation and infrastructure development are essential. To achieve a sustainable, recycling-oriented society, it is crucial for companies, local governments, and citizens to work together to thoroughly separate waste, advance recycling technologies, and develop new treatment facilities.