Food
Recycling Lawin JapanTokyo Environmental Public ServiceCorporation
Shoji Kobayashi

1

Why This Law was EstablishedSelf-sufficiency ratio in Japan
Japan imports 60% of its food
Based oncalories

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Amount of food waste discarded in Japan

Amount of discarded food waste
17 million tons
Business waste
7 million tons

Household waste
10 million tons

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries (FY2011 estimation)

Food Loss in Japan
Amount of discarded food waste
17 million tons
Food loss
5-8 million tons
Amount of food that could
be eaten but is discarded
insteadCooking scraps andsimilar
9-12 million tons
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries (FY2011 estimation)

Scale of Food Loss

Food loss in Japan
5-8 million tons>

Global foodassistance4 million tons

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries (FY2011 estimation)

Food Recycling
Amount of discarded food waste
17 million tons
Incinerated and landfill
Recycled (feed, fertilizer,disposaland heat recovery)
4 million tons
13 million tons
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestryand Fisheries (FY2011 estimation)

2 Food Recycling Law

Food Recycling Law◎Establishment
Established in May of 2001
◎Purpose
To reduce the amount of food waste produced
and promote recycling into feed and fertilizerOrder of Recycling Precedence
1. Reduce production (at every phase in the cycle including
manufacturing, distribution, restaurants, etc.)
2. Recycle into feed and fertilizer
3. Heat recovery (power generation at incineration facilities)

4. Weight reduction (dehydrated and dried products)

The establishment of this law has increased
recycling of food waste by business in foodindustries

Amount of discarded food waste
17 million tons

Business waste
7 million tons
Incinerated andlandfill disposal
4 million tons

Recycled
3 million tons

Household waste
10 million tons
Incinerated andlandfill disposal
9 million tons

Recycled
1 million tons

Definition of "Businesses in Food
Industries" in this Law
1. Food manufacturers and processors
Food manufacturers and so on

2. Food wholesale and retailers
Food wholesalers, supermarkets, convenience stores,etc.

3. Restaurants
Cafeterias, restaurants, hotels, etc.

Definition of "Food Waste" in thisLaw
Food Waste
Manufacturing
Phase (FoodManufacturing)

Processing Waste

Distribution Phase(Food Distribution)

Unsold products
and food waste

Consumption
Phase (Restaurantsand at home)

Cooking scraps,
uneaten food,and food waste

Food
Recycling
Resources

Recycling

Source: Food Industry Center

Legal Binding<Target>Producers of large amounts of waste (100 tons ormore per year)<Consequences>
1. Warnings
2. Publicizing
3. Legal orders
4. Penalties*Guidance and advice to be provided to businessthat produce less than 100 tons per year

Promoting Recycling into
Feed and Fertilizer
1. Establishment of system to registerbusinesses that produce feed and fertilizer<Benefits of registration>
・Increased feed and fertilizer contracts
・Reduction of administrative
proceedings through provisions of laws
and regulations

Promoting Recycling into
Feed and Fertilizer
2. Establishment of system to certify the "FoodBusinesses in the Food
Recycling Cycle"
Industry

Specific products
from farms andfisheries

Food Recycling

Feed andfertilizer fees
Farms andFisheries

Recycling Businesses

Source: Food Industry Center3 Law amendment(in 2007)Trends in Recycling Ratios

Source: Food Industry Center

Trends in amount of Food Waste Produced

Though the recycling activity ratio has increased, the amountof waste produced remains the same.

Source: Food Industry Center

I. Setting ratio goals for eachbusiness
The standard activity ratio for eachbusiness needs to be raised every year.

Recycling ActivityRatio

Amount of reduced production +Amount recycled+ Amount of heat recovered energy= x 0.95 + amount of weight reduction
Amount of reduced production +Amount of production

II. Setting goals for different
industries
Recycling activity ratio goals

Food manufacturers

85%

Food wholesalers

70%

Food retailers

45%

Restaurants40%III. Establishment of a system to receive“regular reports” from business that
produce large amounts

Business in the food industry that produced
at least 100 tons in the last fiscal year must
report every year on the amount of foodwaste being produced and the status ofrecycling activities.
*The determination of whether franchise chains are large producers is basedon the total output of all stores in the chain.

Continue
promoting
reducing andrecycling theamount of foodwaste!