Food Waste Recycling in JapanTokyo Metropolitan Government
Masami Hori1

1 Food waste and Food
Waste Recycling Law
2

International Initiative for sustainable
resource use

Sustainable Development Goals: SDGs September, 2015
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption andproduction patterns

3

TMG 5-year strategy :Sustainable Design Tokyo 2016
for Sustainable Resources use and Waste Management
optimization【Concept】- Transition to sustainable resources use- Contribute for reduce global
environmental load

【Measures and Policies】
・Resources Loss reduction
Food loss, Disposable Lifestyle (Plasticbags reduction)
・Promote Resources Recycling4

Food Loss and Food Waste
FOOD LOSS(Edible)

FOOD
WASTE

・Food Loss in SDGs
Food loss is defined as “the decrease in quantity or quality of food”.
Food waste is part of food loss and refers to discarding or alternative(non-food) use of food that is safe and nutritious for humanconsumption along the entire food supply chain, from primary
production to end household consumer level.
Food waste is recognized as a distinct part of food loss because thedrivers that generate it and the solutions to it are different from thoseof food losses. (FAO, 2014)
FOOD WASTE FOOD
+VALUABLES
・Food loss in Japan
LOSS(Edible)
We define “food waste” as food disposed of generally
and “food loss” is part of food waste that is disposed of, even though
it is edible.

5Food Waste Flow Outline(2013) Image

Dehydration
2 million tons

Food 84 million tons

1. Food
manufacturers andprocessors
2. Food wholesalers
and retailers:
3. Restaurants: etc.

Household

Valuables 9million tons

Recycle 14 million
tons
Animal Feed:10
Fertilizer:3
Energy:1
Thermal Recovery
0.5 million tons

Food Waste andValuables fromBusiness(19 million tons)
including 3 million
tons of food loss

Incineration andlandfill
3 million tons

Waste fromBusinesses
8 million tons
Food Waste fromHousehold
9 million tons
including 3 million
tons of food loss

Total Food Waste
28 million tons
Including Food loss
6 million tons

Recycle 0.5
million tons
Incinerationand landfill
8 million tons

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

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Definition of "Food Waste" in Food
Recycling Law
Food Waste
Manufacturing Phase(Food Manufacturing)

Waste from Processing

Distribution Phase(Food Distribution)

Unsold products andfood waste

Consumption Phase(Restaurants and athome)

Kitchen waste,uneaten food, andfood waste

FoodRecycling
ResourcesRecycling

7Source: Food Industry CenterFood Recycling Law◎Establishment
May of 2001
◎Purpose
To reduce the amount of food waste produced andpromote recycling into feed and fertilizer

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Outlines①(1)Basic Policy to promote recycling systematically① Setting goals for each business- Food manufacturers and processors- Food wholesalers and retailers:
Food wholesalers, supermarkets, convenience stores, etc.
- Restaurants: Cafeterias, restaurants, hotels, etc.

9Outlines②(2)Mandatory Reporting
Business in the food industry that produced at least 100 tons offood waste last fiscal year must report the amount of food waste
being produced and the status of recycling activities every year .
*The determination of whether franchise chains are large producers is based on the total output of all stores inthe chain.

(3) Legal Bindings- Warnings- Publicizing- Legal orders- Penalties

10Outlines③(4) Promoting Recycling①Establishment of system to register businesses that produce

feed and fertilizer<Benefits of registration>
・Increased feed and fertilizer
contracts
・Reduction of administrative
proceedings through provisions oflaws and regulations② Establishment of system to certify the "Food Recycling Cycle"
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Food Recycling Circle
Coffee Bean cake Recycling

12Current Trend
Recycling Rate
Manufacturers
Food Industry
FoodWholesalers

Food Retailers
Restaurants

2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 201413

Food Waste Recycling(Businesses)• Food recycling is still challenging for downstream companies,
such as Retailers and Restaurants
Recycling （Left : Japan, right : Tokyo）
Manufacturers

Manufacturers

Wholesalers

Wholesalers

Retailers

Retailers

Restaurants

Restaurants(10,000t)
AnimalFeedFertilizer

MethaneFermentation

Other recycling

TMG based on Maff and TMG research(10,000t)
ThermalRecovery

Dehydration

Other

Disposal1414

TMG’s Initiative: Super Eco Town(SET)• Food recycling facilities• Feed production, electricity
Generation from Bio-gass facilities• Another facility will be open
by next summer
What’s super eco town？

Alfo

TMG attracted recyclers with
cutting edge technologies to TMG
owned land.
There are 10 facilities now.

Alfo-E
Bio-energy

15Three Food recycling facilities located in SET
Alfo（Feed production）

Dried with cooking oil（Tempura-method）

Bio-energy(Biogas electricity generation）

Biogas produced throughmethane fermentation
Alfo, Bioenergy

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2 Food loss reduction

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(1)Current status
Food Loss in JapanThe amount of Japan’s Food Loss (6.3 million tons)
is twice as much as Global Food Aid
Japan’s Food Loss
6.3 million tons
Business Use
The amount offood disposedof eventhough edible
3.3million tons

Household Use
The amount offood disposedof eventhough edible
3 million tons

Global Food Aid 2014
3.2 million tons

Food loss per person aday approx. 136g
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Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Amount of Food loss/waste inJapan
Amount of Food loss/Food waste in Japan （2012）(10,000tons)
発生量（万トン）
Businesses Food waste 1,916 Food loss 331
事業系食品廃棄物等1,916万トン、食品ロス331万トン
2,000
1,580

Food waste
食品廃棄物等1,500

食品ロス（内数）
Food Loss885

1,000500
141

2213122
58

Manufacturers
食品製造業

Wholesalers
食品卸売業

Retailers
食品小売業

192
119312

Restaurants
外食産業

Household
家庭019TMG based on the research by MAFF and MoE.

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Amount of Food loss/waste inTokyo• Amount of Food loss/Food waste in Tokyo （2012）
発生量（万トン）
Waste
Generation(10,000t)
100

事業系食品廃棄物等98万トン、食品ロス16万トン
Business:
Food Waste (980,000t) Food Waste (160,000t)

9980
6160

食品廃棄物等
Food Waste

Food Loss
食品ロス（内数）

40
1620

13821

Manufacturers
食品製造業

Wholesalers
食品卸売業

58Retailers
食品小売業

外食産業
Restaurants

110Household
家庭20

TMG based on the research by municipalities

20(2)Food Loss Factors
Processing

Logistics

Consumption

Food manufacturers and processors
Food wholesalers and retailers
・Expiration date・Customary Rule・introduction of new models
・Customers’ Preference for freshness
・Seasonal Items ・Mistakes in Printing packages
Household, Restaurants, Hotels
・Customers’ Preference for freshness
・Purchasing more than those consumed
・Misunderstanding of 'best before' date labels
・Leftovers

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① Retailers’Customary Rule(1/3 Rule)
Appointed Date of Delivery
Processed dateAppointed Date of Sale

2 months

2months

Supermarkets

Wholesalers

Manufacturers

Sold onStore shelves

Returned goods unsold
82 billion yen/year

Best-by Date
2monthsWithdrawn from store shelves（Some discounted）

Returned goods unsold
43 billion yen/year

academic journal Vol.27,No.3,201622

②Household
Waste components in incineration
plants (23 wards)
Food waste in combustible waste
Clothes

Others

Gardenwaste
Paper

Plastics
FoodWaste

Combustible 1,708 thousand tons
（Incombustible 58thousans tons）

Clean Authority of TOKYO23

Household Food Waste
Drops(veges)
流出水分, 5.5 Peels
野菜の皮,
6.3
Peels andcores(veges)
野菜の皮くず・芯,

Left uneaten
手付かずの食品,
22.2

14.4

その他, 5.5

Left
食べ残し,
overs
37.9
37.9

Kitchenwaste
調理くず,
56.6
56.6
Peels
and 14
果物の皮,cores(fruits)
14others
その他, 7.4
野菜類, 8.3
vegetables

その他, 21.9
othersexemplar
A research in Kyoto-city 2007

・1/4 of “Left uneaten” was before the expiration
date
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MAFF and Consumer Affairs Agency

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Toward 2020 and more➢ Food recycling promotion

Email：Masami_Hori@member.metro.tokyo.jp

Thank you for your attention!
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