Osaki Town, Kagoshima

From recycling to creating a new future
for the world

Background and Reason for the Projectof management positions such as at waste stations

In Osaki Town, household waste is not incinerated,

and attending resource waste days.

but converted into resources via thorough waste
separation, which has led the town to achieve thehighest recycling rate in Japan a total of 14 times.
The town's recycling efforts were prompted by thetight schedule for the remaining life of its landfill,which was put into service in 1992 in cooperation
with the nearby city of Shibushi.

Project Aims
In the past, all waste in the town was sent to thelandfill. Even though the town’s waste problem was

Osaki Garbage Station Tour

proving to be critical, constructing new incineration
facilities and landfills is costly, and it can be difficult

Project Outline

to garner resident support for the project. This

Under the slogan ‘Garbage When Mixed, Resources

meant the waste would need to be sorted andWhen Separated’, the town began separating waste

recycled instead.

into 16 categories in 2000, which has now increased

In order to sort a variety of waste, the resident-led‘Osaki

RecycleSystem’wasestablished

to 27 categories. They continue to achieve a recycling

inrate of over 80% by mixing food scraps with grass,cooperation and collaboration with businesses andplant trimmings, and wooden chopsticks, all of which

the local government. The town administration,

make up the majority of the waste, to use forworking jointly with community leaders, held 450

compost and other means.

explanatory meetings over three months in 150
communities, gradually helping the residents better

Features and Innovations

understand what and how to sort, collection dates,Since 2011, Osaki Town has been providing technicaland drop-off locations.

assistance to several regions in Indonesia, utilizing

Residents, who play a key role in this system,

their expertise in recycling technology, leading toorganized a new self-governing body specializing ininternational contributions and exchanges. They

waste disposal called the ‘Sanitation Neighbourhood

have also received inquiries from countries in theAssociation’, in addition to sorting waste at home

Caribbean, Pacific Islands and other regions, andand at businesses, and have voluntarily taken charge
1there is potential for further expansion of the Osaki

the proportion of elderly residents exceeded 40% in

system overseas.

2022, and there is now the issue of a large number of

In 2011, Bali, Indonesia participated in the‘residents who have difficulty disposing of waste’. In‘International Cooperation Forum’ held in Osaki

order to support the recycling system that theTown, which fostered the beginning of a relationshipcommunity has been working on together for many

between them.

years, Osaki Town would like to establish aIn 2013, Osaki Town dispatched experts to conductcommunity support system to help enhance thethe ‘Sustainable Waste Management Technology

vitality of elderly residents and foster collaboration

Dissemination Project’ using CLAIR’s model projectwith welfare facilities.

to conduct on-site surveys and needs assessments.
They are also currently conducting a JICA grassroots

Future Developments (expected effects and projecttechnical cooperation project in the same region.

vision and issues)

In addition, recycling efforts have been shown toThe current Osaki Town has launched the ‘Circularhave a significant effect on reducing greenhouse gas

Village Concept’ as its future vision, aiming toemissions and, according to a survey by the National

become a town where no waste is thrown away andInstitute for Environmental Studies, Osaki Town’s

people, goods, and resources such as energy are all

emissionscirculated through the community.

are

38.5%

lower

than

thoseofmunicipalities that incinerate waste.
In order to further reduce the amount of landfill
space, the town has been working on implementing
a closed-loop recycling system for used diapers since2022, and has started a collection project for
disposable diapers as well.

Results of the Project
The amount of landfill waste was reduced fromapproximately 4,300 tons in 1998 to less than 1,000
tons by 2002, and is now around 600 tons, which is

Osaki Vision Map

less than 80% of the original amount. The landfill is
expected to remain operational for another 50 years.

In April 2021, the SDGs Promotion Council wasWith no incineration costs, the cost of waste

established as a General Incorporated Association.

disposal is about 90 million yen less per year, aboutThe ‘OSAKINI Project’ undertaken by the Council is

two-thirds the national average.

implementing various projects to realize Circular

The town has utilized a cumulative total of 150

Village Osaki Town and to expand it to other regions,million in proceeds from the sale of recyclable waste

based on donations from companies. They are

and implements projects to return the proceeds toworking not only with organizations overseas but

residents, such as the ‘Recycle Future Creation

also with local governments in Japan that have also

Scholarship Loan’ and the ‘Recycle Thank You Gift

faced challenges, such as having to replace

Certificate Project’.

incinerators.
Though Osaki Town has already achieved theIssues, Problems and Responses

highest recycling rate in Japan, the original goal wasWith the declining birthrate and aging population,

not to increase the recycling rate but to extend the2life of the landfill. However, with just recycling alone,
the landfill will still eventually be completely full.
From now on, the town is placing importance on
creating a system in which everything is reused andrecycled, and to spread this system throughout theircommunity and society. They intend to go beyond
recycling and ultimately build a circular society.

Reference URL
Osaki Town Waste, Recycling, EnvironmentPage
http://www.town.kagoshimaosaki.lg.jp/kn_eisei/kurashi/gomi/bunbetsu/rule.html
OSAKINI Project (Run by: The General
Incorporated Association Osaki Town SDGs
Promotion Council)
https://www.osakini.org/
2013 Local Government International
Cooperation Project Subsidy (Model Project)
http://www.clair.or.jp/j/cooperation/model/1
7%20osaki.pdf
Contact:
Division in Charge: Osaki Town Office Environmental
Policy Division, Environmental Policy Section
Tel.: +81-994761111

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