Recycling in Japan (?????, Risaikuru) is based on the Japanese Container and Packaging Recycling Law. Plastic, paper, PET bottles, aluminium and glass are collected and recycled. Japan's country profile in Waste Atlas shows that in 2012 Recycling Rate was 20.8%. Other sources have a higher rate of recycling for Japan, such as Appropedia putting it at 50%.
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Container and Packaging Recycling Law
Also called Law for the Promotion of Sorted Collection and Recycling of Containers and Packaging, has been enforced since April 1997 by the Ministry of the Environment to reduce the waste of glass containers, PET bottles and paper cartons. Since April 2000 plastic containers and packages other than PET bottles have been included. According to the law, the recycling is conducted by the Japanese Container and Package Recycling Association (JCPRA) (?????????????????, Zaidan-h?jin Nihon-y?ki-h?s?-risaikuru-ky?kai), a government-designated organization established September 25, 1996.
- The consumers are required to follow sorting guidelines established by the municipalities.
- The sorted waste is then collected by the municipalities and stored for collecting by the recycling company.
- Manufactures and business entities using containers and packages have to pay a recycling fee to the JCPRA, in accordance with the volume they manufacture or sell.
- Each year recycling business entities are selected by a public bidding in every local municipality where a waste storage site is located. They are assigned to collect and transport the waste from the storage sites to recycling facilities. To make sure the waste is getting recycled, these recycling business entities receive payment only after showing a delivery report, signed by the recipient of the recycled products.
Recycling of steel cans is not regulated by the law, but in 2006 about 99% of the municipalities collected and recycled them. In 1973 the Japan Steel Can Recycling Association (????????????, Suchiiru-kan Risaikuru ky?kai), a non-profit organization to promote the recycling of steel cans, had been established. According to its statistics 88.1% of steel cans have been recycled in 2006, maintaining the world's highest level.
Other recycling laws
- Home appliance recycling law (????????????, Tokutei Kateiy? Kiki Saishy?hinka H?) - enacted June 1998, enforced April 2001
- Air conditioners, television sets, refrigerators and washing machines.
- Construction material recycling law (?????????????????????, Kensetsu K?ji ni kakaru Shizai no Saishigenka t? ni kansuru H?ritsu) - enacted May 2000
- Concrete, asphalt/concrete, wood building materials
- Food recycling law (?????????????????????, Shokuhin Junkan Shigen no Saisei Riy? t? no Sokushin ni kansuru H?ritsu)
- End-of-life vehicle recycling law (??????????????????, Shiy?zumi Jid?sha no Saishigenka t? ni kansuru H?ritsu)
- Law for the promotion of effective utilization of resources - enacted May 2000, enforced April 2001
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Recycling plans
On March 25, 2008 the Japanese Cabinet approved a plan that targets to reduce the total waste from about 52 million tons in 2007 to about 50 million tons in 2012 and to raise the waste recycling rate from 20 to 25%. Thermal recycling and a charging system for waste disposal services will be promoted.
3R Initiative
This G8 initiative, first proposed at the G8 Summit in June 2004, aims to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle waste. At the G8 Environmental Minister Meeting in Kobe on May 24-26, 2008, the ministers agreed about the Kobe 3R Action plan. It intends to improve resource productivity, to establish an international sound material-cycle society and to bring forward 3Rs capacity in developing countries. According to this plan, Japan also announced a New Action Plan towards a Global Zero Waste Society, aimed to establish material cycle societies internationally.
Scandals
In January 2008 five paper companies in Japan were accused of misleading customers about the recycled paper content of their products. Oji Paper, the largest paper company in Japan, admitted that its copy and print paper contained 5 to 10% recycled paper, instead of the 50% stated. The president of Oji Paper apologized to its customers, and the president of Nippon Pages, the second largest paper company in Japan, resigned to take responsibility. The Japanese Fair Trade Commission said it would investigate.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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