For starters, sorting garbage can be a complicated process in Japan – a country that boasts one of the strictest garbage disposal rules in the world.
But in Fukushima City, things are about to get more difficult.
Starting in March, the city government will inspect bags of trash that run afoul of regulations — such as those that aren't properly sorted, or that exceed size limits — and in some cases publicly identify their owners.
The new regulations, approved at a municipal meeting on Tuesday, come amid Japan's long quest to strengthen its waste management system.
While many cities in Japan open garbage bags for inspection, and some allow violating companies to be disclosed, Fukushima is believed to be the first city that plans to reveal the names of individuals and companies, according to local media.
Last year, Fukushima reported more than 9,000 cases of non-compliant litter.
Currently, instead of collecting garbage that does not comply with disposal rules, workers usually paste stickers on garbage bags to inform residents of the violation. Residents will then have to take the trash back inside, re-sort it, and hope they can get it right the next time trash collectors come.
Under Fukushima's new rules, if a trash bin remains unsorted for a week, city workers can inspect it and try to identify violators through items such as mail. Violators will be issued a verbal warning, followed by a written warning, before the last resort: publishing their names on the government website.
Amid privacy concerns, Fukushima authorities said garbage inspections would be conducted privately.
Every Japanese city has its own guides on how to dispose of garbage. In Fukushima, rubbish bags must be placed at collection points every morning by 0830 – but they cannot be left the night before.
Different types of trash – divided into combustible, non-combustible and recyclable materials – are collected according to different schedules.
For items that exceed the stated dimensions, such as appliances and furniture, residents must schedule a separate pickup.
Fukushima Mayor Hiroshi Kohata said the new rules aim to promote waste reduction and proper disposal methods.
“There is nothing illegal in advertising malicious waste generators who do not abide by the rules and do not follow the city’s guidelines and advisories,” Mainichi quoted authorities as saying.
Waste is taken very seriously in Japan, where since the 1990s the government has made it a national goal to move away from landfills, reduce waste and encourage recycling. Local authorities have put forward their own initiatives in line with this goal.
Residents of Kamikatsu, a Japanese town with an ambitious goal of zero waste, proudly sort their waste into 45 categories. Kagoshima Prefecture decided to force residents to write their names on their garbage bags. Last year, Chiba City piloted an artificial intelligence assistant to help residents dispose of garbage properly.
