Japan: Zero Waste Town - Power of Recycling | United Nations

Summary

Osaki Town in Japan is pioneering waste management with a recycling rate over 80%, using a unique system where waste is sorted into 27 categories at home and further separated at a local recycling center. Through natural composting and partnerships, Osaki is reducing its environmental impact and promoting circular economy practices. The personal story of a citizen from Tuvalu highlights the global urgency of climate change, inspiring Osaki’s efforts to protect future generations. This town demonstrates how sustainable practices can combat climate change and create a better future for both local and global communities.

Takeaways

• 😀 Osaki Town has achieved a recycling rate of over 80%, the highest in Japan.
• 😀 Waste in Osaki Town is sorted into 27 categories, with only a small portion sent to landfill in blue bags.
• 😀 The town has never had an incineration plant, and there are no plans to build one, focusing instead on sustainable recycling practices.
• 😀 The Soo Recycling Centre plays a crucial role in sorting waste further into more than 40 categories, ensuring proper recycling.
• 😀 The recycling process includes separating plastics into hard types and packages and using machines to separate aluminum and steel cans.
• 😀 Composite materials like pans are manually cracked and separated, ensuring proper disposal and recycling.
• 😀 Collected food waste is crushed, mixed with pruned plants, and turned into compost by native microorganisms without using chemicals.
• 😀 The compost produced is used in local farms in Osaki, contributing to sustainable agriculture, including the production of rapeseed oil.
• 😀 The waste composting method has been shared globally, including with Indonesia, through a partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
• 😀 Despite high recycling rates, challenges remain with certain types of packaging that are difficult to sort, prompting collaboration with companies to create recyclable products.
• 😀 The speaker, originally from Tuvalu, stresses the urgency of addressing climate change and the need for future-focused solutions like the circular economy to prevent environmental collapse.

Q & A

What is the recycling rate in Osaki Town?

Osaki Town has achieved a recycling rate of more than 80%, which is the highest throughout Japan.

How many categories of waste does Osaki Town sort?

Osaki Town sorts waste into 27 different categories at the household level.

Why doesn’t Osaki Town have an incineration plant?

Osaki Town has never had an incineration plant and does not plan to build one, as the focus is on recycling and reducing waste through other methods.

What happens to recyclable waste in Osaki Town after collection?

The collected recyclable waste is brought to the Soo Recycling Centre, where it is further sorted into more than 40 categories, including separating plastics and metals, and then sent to recycling factories across Japan.

What happens to food waste in Osaki Town?

Food waste is collected three times a week, crushed into smaller pieces, and mixed with pruned plants to create compost. The process relies on native microorganisms for decomposition, and the compost is used in local farms.

How long does the composting process take in Osaki Town?

The composting process takes about five to six months, during which microorganisms break down the organic waste into rich compost.

How does Osaki Town use the profits from recyclable waste?

The profits from trading recyclable waste are used to fund scholarships for students in Osaki.

How has Osaki’s waste management system been shared with other countries?

The waste management and composting techniques used in Osaki Town have been introduced to Indonesia through the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) partnership program.

What personal experience motivated the speaker to work on sustainable waste management?

The speaker grew up in Tuvalu, a small island in the South Pacific, which is suffering from the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and extreme drought. This personal experience has driven the speaker to work towards climate change mitigation and sustainability in Osaki.

What historical environmental effort is mentioned in the transcript?

The speaker mentions the pine forest along Osaki’s beach, which was planted by ancestors to protect the town from heavy winds and sands. The trees were planted with foresight, as they would take hundreds of years to grow, protecting future generations.