The Zero waste town
Welcome to Kamikatsu, Japan- the zero waste town. In this spot of the globe people take the concept of recycling very seriously. They categorize their trash into a whopping thirty four different categories, namely; Aluminium cans, Steel cans, spray cans, PET bottles, bottle caps, paper, paper cartons, cardboard, newspaper, paper flyers, magazines, milk cartons and so on.
Initially, Kamikatsu was openly incinerating their trash. But after witnessing the ill effects of this process on both the environment and humans, the people of this town decided to create the zero waste program. The program was initiated in the year 2003 and since then eighty percent of the town’s trash either gets recycled, reused, or composed.
Now, some of you might be thinking that 80% isn’t exactly zero waste, but well, as they say:
Doing something is better than doing nothing!!!
Leaving emotions apart and speaking technically, the other 20% of the waste corresponds to human & animal excreta and other non-recyclable wastes like chemicals, battery’s and so on. This goes to a land fill. But by 2020 the goal is to be a hundred percent zero waste.
The residents must wash and clean their trash at home and must split them according to 34 categories by putting them in different plastic bags or boxes and then take to the recycling facility. Yeah! you read it correctly, there is no pick up service for the trash. One must walk to the facility and drop off their trash. But then, looking at the size of this town, such a service is not really required.
The residents claim that this task was very difficult and painful in the beginning. A lot of convincing was required to gain the full cooperation of all the 1700 residents of this town. Many were opposed to this idea, but later realized the benefits of such a scheme and decided to go forward with it.
Now looking at this town’s recycling facility, there are monitors present whom check whether the trash has been properly cleaned and categorized at the time of delivery (by the resident). These trashes are then put into the corresponding 34 huge bins before being taken for recycling. There are stickers on the bins that clearly depict the initial type of trash that has to go inside it and the final recycled product that will be obtained.
Another exciting feature of this town is that it has something called as the kuru-kuru shop, meaning ‘circular’, where residents can bring in and take used items for free! There is also a factory where local women make items out of discarded products such as old kimono’s or old clothes or used flags. The town asks the grannies and other homemakers, whom really have the skills for sewing, to turn them (old clothes) into new clothes or blankets or bed sheets or pillow covers or purses or hand bags or stuffed dolls.
Businesses all over Kamikatsu have incorporated ways to become zero waste. The city officials claim that they save almost two-third’s the money that they earlier spent while burning the trash. The resident’s even claim that they are trying to find new was to change their lifestyle, to reduce the amount waste that they produce. The people proudly say that they look after each other and help one and other to reduce, reuse and recycle their trash.
I have always had a huge admiration towards Japan and its people. To me they have always been a symbol of three qualities that I strive to posses, togetherness, honesty and hard-work. I honestly love this scheme and would really be happy to see this being implemented all over the world.
