With the amount of packaging on everything you buy, what to do with the garbage is one of the first questions many new residents ask. Answering it provides an insightful dive into Japanese culture on many levels, from the quality of presentation to the philosophy of thrift (mottanai) , and your building, community and bureaucracy mindset.
Living in Tokyo
Minimizing garbage, optimizing recycling.
As a general rule, there are four main categories of household garbage, each with own collection schedule or means of disposal.
- Combustible (Burnable)
- Non-combustible (Non-burnable)
- Recyclable
- Large-sized waste
Each Ward (ku) in Tokyo has its own garbage separation, recycling and collection guidelines, together with schedules and pick-up locations. To find the details for your Ward, check the relevant website/app links below.
To meet the Ward schedules, each apartment building has its own system for consolidating recyclables and garbage, and coordinating with pick-up times. Of course, it is timely and efficient.
As an overview, recycling is a big deal in Japan. Everything you buy has recycling guides on it. Generally speaking the categories for recycling are: Steel, Aluminum, PET, Plastic, Paper, Glass and Polystyrene, with the first five featuring the relevant symbols on all packaging. These are often further refined into different colors of glass, and types of paper/cardboard etc.
