Waste Management in Japan
Waste Management in Japan
November, 2018
Japan Industrial Waste Information Center
1. Outline of the development of the legal and regulatory framework
relating to waste management in Japan
1
Title of the law (year of enactment) Key features Background
2
2. Legislative Framework for Waste Management in Japan
Waste Management Law Law for the Promotion of Effective Use of Resources
Formulate the basic promotion plan for the Sound Material-Cycle Society
Input of natural resources
Production
Control the input of (manufacture, distribution) First: Reduce
natural resources
Reduce the waste generation
Consumption/use
Third: Recycle Promotion of a
project for building
Things, albeit not recyclable, are Second: Reuse a sound material-
regenerated as resources cycle society,
Reuse the used through efforts in
materials repeatedly coordination with
the central
government.
Disposal
Fourth: Heat recovery
Treatment In the case of an unrecyclable waste, for which
there is no other way of treatment than incineration,
(recycling, incineration, etc.) the heat generated by incineration is recovered for
power generation and the residual heart thereof is
used for other purposes
6
2.1 The Basic Act for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society
(continued)
5. Clarifying the roles of the central government, local governments,
businesses and citizens
Businesses and people will bear the "responsibility as emitters"
Producers will continue to bear some degree of responsibility
("extended producer responsibility") with respect to their products
after their products, etc. have been used and become waste.
6. Formulation by the government of the "Fundamental Plan for
Establishing a sound material-cycle society" every five years
7. Announcement of the measures being implemented by the state to bring
about the establishing a sound material-cycle society
Measures to reduce generation of waste, etc.
Regulatory measures or the like for the thorough implementation of
“discharge responsibility”
Measures based on the “extended producer responsibility”
Measures to ensure that, when obstacles to environmental
conservation occur, the responsible business enterprises bear the
cost of restoration, etc.
7
2.1 The Basic Act for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society
(continued)
(3) Basic Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society
So far, indices and goals have been set for (1) entrance, (2) circulation
and (3) exit of the material flow to establish the recycling-based society
in which the measures for the reduction of waste discharge, reuse,
recycling, etc. can be developed in a balanced manner.
Indices and Goals in the Basic Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society
Goal (target year)
Section of the
Index 1st Plan 2nd Plan 3rd Plan 4th Plan
material flow (2010) (2015) (2020) (2025)
Resource productivity (10,000yen/t)
(1) Entrance (GDP/ inputs of natural resources, etc.) 37 42 46 49
The 1st Plan was formulated in 2005, the 2nd in 2010, the 3rd in 2015, and the 4th in 2018.
8
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law
(1) Purpose
9
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(2) Definition of waste – Waste subject to controls
Sludge, excreta and other filthy and unwanted matter, which are in solid or liquid state
The term “unwanted matter” is used to refer to things which have become needless
because one cannot use it oneself nor transfer it to another person for profit;
Whether unwanted matter can legally be classed as “waste” or not should generally be
determined on the basis of the following criteria:
State of the object, discharge situation, normal form of handling, presence or absence
of value for a transaction, and the intention of a possessor
10
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
Definition of waste –Industrial waste
*denotes that there are restrictions depending on the type of industry that
the waste-discharging enterprise belongs to.
11
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
Definition of the waste –Municipal waste
Municipal refuse
Households
Household waste The municipalities
have responsibility
for management of
Waste from business this category of
Urban activity (commerce, establishments waste.
transportation, etc. )
12
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
Definition of the waste - Specially controlled waste
Specially controlled
Harmful nature
Municipal waste Normal municipal waste municipal waste
Specially controlled
Industrial waste Normal industrial waste industrial waste
13
Definition of the specially controlled municipal waste
14
Definition of the specially controlled industrial waste
Waste oil Gasolines, kerosene and light oils (excluding flame-retardant tar, pitch or the like)
Industrial waste generated from hospitals, clinics, etc., in which a pathogen is contained or to which one
Infectious industrial waste
adheres or waste in which a pathogen may be contained or to which it may adhere
Sludge impregnated with PCB, waste paper to which PCB is applied or in which it soaks, waste wood or waste
PCB contaminated material fiber to which PCB soaks, plastics or metal scrap to which PCB adheres or in which it is enclosed, waste
ceramics or demolition debris to which PCB adhere
Materials used in the handling of waste PCBs etc. or of PCB-contaminated materials are included within the
PCB handling materials
scope of the controls applying to PCBs
Specified hazardous industrial waste
Specific sewage sludge Sludge specified ) in Article13-4 of the Cabinet Order for the Sewerage Law
Those which are related to asbestos construction material removing companies or which are produced at a
Waste asbestos place of business having a soot and dust generating facility as specified in the Air Pollution Control Law and
which may scatter
Cinders Those containing beyond a certain concentration of heavy metals and Dioxins
Soot and dust Those containing beyond a certain concentration of heavy metals, 1,4-dioxane and Dioxins
Sludge, waste acid or waste Those containing beyond a certain concentration of heavy metals, PCB, organochlorine compounds, pesticides,
alkali 1,4-dioxane and Dioxins
15
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
Definition of waste and waste classification system
Night soil
16
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(3) The responsibility of industrial waste generator
1. Businesses shall bear the responsibility of properly managing waste
materials generated in their activities or entrust such management in
writing to licensed waste disposal businesses (i.e. collection and
transportation companies, and waste disposal businesses).
17
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(4) Waste manifest system
1. When a business (including contractors of intermediate treatment)
generating industrial waste as a result of his activities is to commission
waste processor to transport or dispose of his waste (including
industrial waste of intermediate treatment), he shall issue the waste
processor an “industrial waste control manifest” (hereafter referred to
as manifest) at time of delivering his waste.
2. Manifest shall be transferred to the commissioned agents one after
another at the completion of each treatment of the waste and shall
return a copy of manifest to the issuer within a period prescribed in
the Law.
3. When the issuer receives a copy of manifest, he must confirm each
completion of the treatments and keeps the copies of Manifest for a
period specified in the Law.
4. Annual reporting of the record of issued manifests to a competent
governor is required.
18
Paper-based manifest
B-
B-E C-E C-E
E
A
Intermediate
C1 disposer A B1
B1 C1
Disposer Discharger
Collection and Collection and
Discharger Transportation company Disposal Disposal Transportation company Final disposer
B2 C2
trustee entrustor B2 C2
D
E E D,E
20
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(5) Controls relating to appropriate management
21
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(6) Responsibilities of a waste generator on the commission of waste treatment
22
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(7) Waste disposal standards
With regard to the operation of waste disposal facilities, the following
standards or references have been established. Industrial waste disposal
operators are required to comply with these.
23
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(8) Supervision by administrative agencies
Prefectural and designated city governments (hereafter collectively
referred to as “supervisory authorities”) conduct spot inspections to guide
and supervise the businesses in their respective administrative areas to
which they have granted permission for operation as industrial waste
disposal businesses or for installment of disposal facilities.
24
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(9) Administrative action
25
2.2 Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law (continued)
(10) Landfill facilities
26
Stabilized Type Landfill
27
Controlled Type Landfill
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2.3 Law for the Promotion of Effective Use of Resources
1. Strengthening of recycling measures such as the implementation of the
recovery and reuse of products by businesses
2. Reducing waste generation by resource saving and through longer
service life of products
Data structure
Material cycle
1 Material flow of Japan
Material flow indicators
Gross emissions
2 Municipal waste
Industrial waste
Recycling rate
4 Municipal waste
Industrial waste
30
1 Material cycle: Material flow of Japan (FY2014)
31
1 Material cycle: Material flow indicators
Material flow indicators in Japan (A. resource productivity , B. cyclical use rate and C. final disposal
amount ) , set forth in the Fundamental Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society, show a
steady progress toward their targets, due to implementation of the 3Rs.
A. Resource Productivity
Target:¥460,000
GDP (=$4207/ton)
= *1=Y109.34(2014/9/29)
DMI* (Input of natural resources , etc.)
*DMI: Direct Material Input
90
C. Final Disposal Amount 60 Target:
17 mil. tons
30
= Final disposal amount of waste
0
1995
7年 2000
12年 2005
17年 2010
22年 2015
27年 2020
32年
32
2 Gross Emissions: Municipal waste
58,000 1,146
1,131
Total volume of waste emissions (1,000 tons)
1,115
56,000
42,000
40,000 800
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
(FY)
33
2 Gross Emissions: Industrial waste
450
400
Total volume of industrial waste emissions
350
300
(million tons)
250
426 415
200 394 405 408 400 406 400 393 412 417 422 418 419 404
390 386 381 379 385 393 391
150
100
50
(FY)
34
2 Gross Emissions: Industrial waste by category
livestock corps
80,512
(20.6%) unit: 1,000 tons
35
2 Gross Emissions: Industrial waste by sector
36
3 Waste treatment flow: Municipal waste (FY2016)
Incineration Recycled
after
Generation of treatment
32,940
municipal
Waste 4,560
41,010
Other
treatment Landfill of treatment residue
3,550
5,680
Landfill
430 3,980
37
3 Waste treatment flow: Industrial waste (FY2015)
Total
Direct recycling
recycled
76,849
207,561
Recycling
after
treatment
Treatment 130,712
Generation of residue
Intermediate
industrial
treatment 135,954 Landfilling
waste
after
309,492 treatment
391,185
5,247
Reduction
173,539
Landfilling
Direct Landfill
4,844
landfilling
10,085
4,844
38
4 Recycling rate: Municipal waste
19
17.6
1,200 18.0
1,000 15.0
600 9.0
200 3.0
233 254 257 264 234 224 217 215 212 212 208 203 196
0 0.0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
(FY)
39
4 Recycling rate: Industrial waste
400 26 24 22 20
60 30 17 10
67 45 42 14 14 12 10
68 50 50 40 12 13
69
Industrial waste emission volume
350
150
(FY)
40
5 Final disposal and landfill (Final disposal amount)
90,000
80,000
Final disposal amount (1,000 tons)
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
(FY)
41
5 Final disposal and landfill (Remaining landfill capacity)
300
200
100
0
2000 2005 2010 2015
(FY)
42
5 Final disposal and landfill (Remaining landfill lifetime)
25
20
15
10
0
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
(FY)
43
6 Illegal dumping of waste
(FY)
44