{"id":3020,"date":"2018-06-26T12:21:57","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T03:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/sort-it-out-a-primer-on-recycling-in-tokyo\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:35:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:35:03","slug":"sort-it-out-a-primer-on-recycling-in-tokyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/sort-it-out-a-primer-on-recycling-in-tokyo\/","title":{"rendered":"Sort it out: A Primer on Recycling in Tokyo"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ask almost any expat who has lived here for at least a year or so, \u201cwhat are some difficult things about living in Japan you\u2019ve had to come to terms with\u201d, and without fail \u201clearning how to deal with the garbage\u201d is going to be somewhere near the top of that list. Here in Tokyo, it\u2019s a small price to pay for living in one of the largest yet cleanest urban areas in the world. However our garbage sorting isn\u2019t actually very uniform; some areas sort plastic drink bottles as-is; other places warn you to take off the labels and caps and sort them separately, for example.<\/p>\n

Sort all the things<\/h3>\n

The fastest and most efficient way to get information on how to recycle in your area is by calling your ward or city office or visiting their website. There are 23 wards in central Tokyo, each governed as a separate city, to say nothing of the many other municipalities making up the Capital Metropolis and they each have their own rules regarding recycling. Of course if you\u2019re a long-term resident visa holder here, you\u2019ll have already visited the local office to register your new address<\/a> and they\u2019d likely have given you a very thick new resident\u2019s guidebook<\/a> that not only explains the recycling guidelines, but also tells you how to deal with things like furniture, appliances, clothing, and more. Lastly, and especially if you\u2019re staying in some sort of multi-family housing (apartment, condominium, etc there\u2019s usually a garbage collection notice<\/a> posted somewhere in the building or better yet, given to you on move in day. In general though, most garbage is sorted by organic, burnable rubbish, non-burnable refuse, plastic PET bottles, glass and cans. There are different days of the week for when to put out the different types, and sometimes even different locations as well. If you reside in the 23 Wards of Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki and maybe a few other places, you can use simple translucent or clear plastic trash bags or just reuse your grocery bags. However in most other cities and towns, you may have to use a city designated bag found in markets in that location; this is how the garbage taxes are paid for those areas.<\/p>\n

Keep it green while out and about<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s widely known that you\u2019ll likely find a unicorn before spotting a trashcan on most Japanese streets, however there\u2019s a convenience store for every 100 people in this country; each and every one of them has a place to toss rubbish. Also did you know that most supermarkets allow you to pre-open your purchases while bagging them and throw the packaging away? Most of those vending machines on the side of the road all have a small can and bottle wastebasket next to them and many train platforms have that and also burnable garbage cans too.<\/p>\n

Sofa-B-Gone<\/h3>\n

If you want to toss out items like clothing, bedding, furniture, and certain appliances, you\u2019ll need to contact your local \u201cSodai Gomi\u201d center and arrange for a pickup. We have an article on just how to deal with that right here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Big trash, small profit?<\/h3>\n

In some cases, certain appliances like TVs, PCs, refrigerators, cooktops and furnaces can\u2019t be recycled via Sodai Gomi and must be handled in some other manner. Usually when you buy one of these items in Japan brand new, you are also made to pay a recycling fee at the point of sale and given a certificate. Simply call the number or visit the website on the certificate and the manufacturer will handle the disposal of the item in some manner. In some cases, you can tell the store staff that you will need disposing of the item the new one will replace, and they will take the old thing away when they deliver your new purchase to your home. This is commonly done for items like TVs, HVAC units, washing machines and refrigerators. But if you need to get rid of something and can\u2019t go this route, then there are a few other ways that are worth exploring:<\/p>\n

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