How to: Properly dispose of your garbage

Japan is an incredibly clean country . This is due to the strict policy on garbage disposal and recycling not only in public, but also in personal homes. The tricky thing is, however, each ward has its own specific policies and schedule. Here is some information to ensure you are following the correct ones fitting to your living area!

First of all, it is very important to know where your apartment’s garbage disposal area is. Most apartments will have a designated area in the 1st floor/lobby of the apartment building, or right outside. Sometimes there will be a net or some kind of marking (sign, poster, etc) to show the designated spot, sometimes there is no marking (in this case please ask the management office or person in charge of the building).

Following are some pictures of common apartment garbage disposal areas:

Next thing to know is the schedule of garbage pickup in your ward. Most wards have specific days to pick up specific types of garbage (i.e. Combustibles on Monday and Thursday, Plastic bottles on Tuesday, Cans and Glass on Friday, etc.) It is important to know which days to put out which garbage. Also, make sure you know what constitutes as combustible garbage and what does not. The standards of what can be burned and what needs to be recycled also varies on the ward you live in. Below is an image of garbage disposal following general guidelines and what the majority of wards go by. (Click to enlarge)