Japan (JP)
Japan is one of the world's most captivating destinations for expats — a country where ancient temple culture and ultra-modern technology coexist seamlessly.
Recycling & Waste in Japan
Bin system, bottle deposits, special disposal, and common mistakes.
Japan has one of the most rigorous household waste sorting systems in the world. Rules vary by municipality (市区町村) — your ward or city office will provide a waste calendar (ごみカレンダー) and sorting guide, often in multiple languages, when you register your address. Waste must be placed in designated collection areas (ごみ集積所) by a specific time on the correct collection day (usually before 8am). Using the wrong bin or wrong day is a serious social infraction — neighbours and neighbourhood associations (町内会) take this seriously. Some municipalities use semi-transparent designated bags (指定ごみ袋) that must be purchased — these vary by ward. Tokyo's 23 special wards have a unified framework but individual ward rules differ in detail. Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, and rural municipalities each have their own systems. Obtaining your area's specific waste guide in your language is the essential first step.
The Bin System
Burnable / Combustible Waste
Red/pink or designated semi-transparent bag (varies by ward)燃えるごみ / もえるごみ (Moeru Gomi)
- ✓Cooked food scraps and kitchen waste (生ごみ — drain well before disposing)
- ✓Soiled paper, tissues, paper napkins, wrapping paper
- ✓Rubber and leather goods (shoes, belts, small items)
- ✓Clothing, fabric, curtains
- ✓Plastic items contaminated with food that cannot be cleaned
- ✓Wooden chopsticks, small wooden items
- ✓Sanitary products, nappies, cotton
- ✓Small tree branches and leaves (bundled)
- ✓CDs/DVDs (some wards classify as non-burnable)
- ✓Styrofoam food trays that cannot be recycled (soiled)
- ✗Cans, bottles, glass
- ✗Recyclable plastic containers and packaging
- ✗Oversized items (大型ごみ)
- ✗Dangerous items (batteries, spray cans)
- ✗Electronic waste
Non-Burnable / Non-Combustible Waste
Blue/yellow or designated bag (varies by ward)燃えないごみ / もえないごみ (Moenai Gomi)
- ✓Pottery, ceramics, glass items not covered by bottle recycling
- ✓Small metal items (pots, frying pans, cutlery, wire hangers)
- ✓Light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent — some wards separate)
- ✓Mirrors and thermometers
- ✓Lighters (empty, depressurised)
- ✓Small electrical appliances not covered by WEEE (toasters, hair dryers, irons)
- ✓Umbrellas
- ✓Toys with metal parts
- ✓Video tapes, cassette tapes
- ✗Burnable waste
- ✗Recyclable cans, bottles, or plastic containers
- ✗Large appliances (covered by Home Appliance Recycling Law)
- ✗Batteries (collected separately at retailers)
- ✗Spray cans (must be emptied and punctured — separate collection in some wards)
Recyclable Containers and Packaging
Yellow net or designated bag (varies by ward)資源ごみ / 容器包装プラスチック (Shigen Gomi)
- ✓Plastic containers and packaging marked with プラ (plastic recycle symbol) — must be rinsed
- ✓PET bottles (ペットボトル) — remove cap and label, rinse and crush
- ✓Cans (aluminum and steel) — rinse and crush
- ✓Glass bottles (clear, brown, other coloured — often sorted separately)
- ✓Cardboard boxes — flatten, remove tape and staples, tie with string
- ✓Newspapers, magazines, and flyers — bundle with string
- ✓Milk and juice cartons (牛乳パック) — open flat, rinse, dry
- ✓Styrofoam food trays (白色トレー) — rinsed only, returned to supermarket take-back point or collection
- ✗Soiled or food-contaminated plastic (→ burnable)
- ✗Styrofoam with food residue
- ✗Garbage bags themselves
- ✗Non-packaging plastic (toys, electronic parts)
Oversized Waste
Not a bin — scheduled separate collection粗大ごみ (Sodai Gomi)
- ✓Furniture (sofas, beds, wardrobes, tables, chairs)
- ✓Bicycles and large sports equipment
- ✓Futon and large bedding
- ✓Large rugs and carpets
- ✓Oversized cardboard items
- ✓Small outdoor equipment
- ✗Home appliances covered by the Home Appliance Recycling Law (televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners)
- ✗PCs and monitors (covered by PC Recycle law)
- ✗Items with hazardous components
No National Deposit System (PET/Can Take-Back Points) — Bottle Deposit System
Japan does not have a national bottle/can deposit return system. However, PET bottle and aluminium can recycling is managed through designated municipal collection and supermarket/convenience store take-back points. Many supermarkets and convenience stores operate voluntary take-back machines (リサイクルボックス) for PET bottles and cans. From 2023, Japan began planning an expanded return-point system for PET bottles under the Resource Recycling Promotion Law.
No monetary deposit system — no payment on return. Participation is civic duty only.
Rinse PET bottles, remove caps and labels. Take to a supermarket recycling machine or designated collection point. Some machines (particularly at supermarkets like Aeon and Ito-Yokado) issue points on loyalty cards in exchange. Alternatively, put out with your ward's designated recyclables collection on the scheduled day.
Special Disposal
Return to retailer where you purchased a replacement, or to any major electronics retailer (Yamada Denki, Bic Camera, Yodobashi). Some wards have designated collection days.
Covered items: televisions (CRT and flat), refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioning units. Recycling fee applies: ¥1,000–4,600 depending on item plus standard transport fee. Illegal dumping of these items (not uncommon) is a serious offence.
Contact the PC manufacturer — all Japanese-market PC manufacturers are obligated to collect for free via Japan's PC 3R Promotion Center. Register online and ship for free using the provided label.
PCs purchased in Japan have a PC recycle mark (PCリサイクルマーク) on the bottom — these are collected free. Foreign-purchased PCs: pay ¥3,000–4,000 collection fee. Covers: desktop PCs, laptops, CRT monitors, flat-panel monitors.
Disposable alkaline and manganese batteries: take to collection boxes at convenience stores, supermarkets, or electronics retailers. Most supermarkets and Family Mart/7-Eleven/Lawson have battery collection boxes. Rechargeable batteries and lithium-ion batteries: return to JBRC-affiliated retailers (electronics shops, home centres).
Never place batteries in regular household bins — fire risk in waste trucks. Tape the terminals of lithium batteries before disposal to prevent short circuit.
Designated collection or non-burnable waste on designated days — rules vary by ward. Must be completely emptied before disposal. In a safe outdoor area, press valve until no gas remains, then puncture the can (many wards require this). Some wards provide a designated spray can collection day.
Disposing of un-emptied spray cans causes fires in waste collection trucks. Several fires and injuries occur annually from non-compliance. Always read ward-specific guidance.
Unused medicines: return to the issuing pharmacy or hospital. Many pharmacies (薬局) accept returned medications. Some wards have dedicated medicine collection boxes. Syringes (insulin users): sealed in a puncture-resistant container and returned to the issuing clinic or pharmacy.
Do not flush medicines down the toilet or drain — groundwater contamination risk. Sharps disposal bags are available at pharmacies.
Fluorescent tubes (蛍光灯): designated non-burnable waste or take to electronics retailers with take-back programs. LED bulbs are non-burnable waste. Mercury thermometers: take to designated collection at ward office or pharmacy.
Rules vary by ward — some collect fluorescent tubes as standard non-burnable, others require separate scheduling.
Tyres: return to tyre shop or car dealer where purchased — they dispose as industrial waste. Not accepted as household waste. Car oil and fluids: return to petrol station (ガソリンスタンド) or car dealer.
Industrial waste disposal is strictly regulated — do not dispose of vehicle parts in household bins.
Bulk Waste
Oversized waste (粗大ごみ / sodai gomi) requires advance scheduling. In most wards: 1. Call your ward's Sodai Gomi collection centre or use the online reservation system. 2. Purchase a Sodai Gomi Disposal Sticker (粗大ごみ処理券) at a convenience store (¥400–2,000 depending on item size). 3. Attach the sticker to the item and place it at the designated collection point on the scheduled morning. Typical costs: bicycle ¥400–800; sofa ¥800–2,000; bed frame ¥1,200–2,500; large wardrobe ¥2,000–4,000. Some wards offer a collection service from inside your building for an additional fee. Items covered by the Home Appliance Recycling Law cannot be put out as sodai gomi — separate arrangements required.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ! Putting out garbage on the wrong day — in many neighbourhoods this causes the waste to sit uncollected and is socially frowned upon; the neighbourhood association may return items to your door
- ! Failing to rinse recyclable plastic containers and PET bottles — soiled recyclables are reclassified as burnable waste
- ! Disposing of home appliances (TV, washing machine, air con, fridge) as regular sodai gomi — these require the Home Appliance Recycling Law disposal route and a fee
- ! Placing garbage bags at the collection point the night before — many areas prohibit this due to crow and cat problems; put out on the morning of collection
- ! Not removing food residue from styrofoam food trays before recycling — soiled trays go to burnable
- ! Not knowing your ward's specific rules — obtain your ward's waste guide (often available in English, Chinese, Korean, and other languages at the ward office)
- ! Leaving large items on the kerb without scheduling sodai gomi collection — illegal dumping is a serious civic offence
- ! Disposing of spray cans without fully emptying them — causes fires in collection trucks
- ! PET bottle caps: in many wards caps are separated from bottles. Some collection points have cap collection boxes — used cap collection funds vaccines in some NGO programs
Fines & Enforcement
Illegal dumping (不法投棄) is a criminal offence in Japan: up to 5 years imprisonment and ¥10,000,000 fine for individuals (Act on Special Measures against Dioxins / Waste Management Law). In practice, enforcement for minor household violations focuses on community pressure and collection refusal rather than criminal prosecution. Businesses face strict enforcement. Surveillance cameras are increasingly used at dumping hotspots.
Practical Tips
- → Get your ward's official waste calendar (ごみカレンダー) immediately upon address registration — it shows every collection day for the year for each waste type
- → Many wards provide multilingual waste guides — ask at the ward office (区役所) for your language
- → Some wards have waste guide apps (e.g. Tokyo 23 wards have "Gomi Navi" app) that remind you of collection days
- → Buy a designated waste bucket with lid for your kitchen (生ごみ用バケツ) — reduces smell and makes food waste collection easier
- → Supermarkets often have separate collection bins for PET bottles, milk cartons, and egg trays at store entrances — use these rather than relying solely on kerbside collection
- → If you are unsure which category an item belongs to, call your ward office's waste consultation line — they will advise
- → Neighbourhood collection points (ごみ集積所) are shared — keep them clean and follow the local custom for covering with the net to deter crows