1.2. From the end of the period of high economic growth to the period of “bubble economy”

##### 1.2.1. Forming the framework of the Waste Management Law

The problem of waste generated in households was not the only issue that arose from Japan’s high economic growth. Another issue was the problem of industrial waste generated through the production activities of businesses entities.

Industrial waste had traditionally been accumulated within the grounds of factories or handled through the efforts of individual companies. However, with the progress of urbanization and a shortage of final disposal sites (landfills), the number of cases in which waste was improperly treated increased. Moreover, it is estimated that the amount of industrial waste generated in 1967 was approximately 1.2 million tons per day. This was 24 times more than the amount of waste generated by households (50,000 tons). Much of this industrial waste was incombustible or required special processing to prevent environmental pollution. Consequently, it exceeded the capacity of municipal disposal systems.

This led to the abolition of the Public Cleansing Law and establishment of the Waste Management Law in the so-called [anti-] "Pollution Diet" in 1970. This move marked the first step toward the establishment of today's waste management system. The new law differed significantly from the Public Cleansing Law in that it stated "conservation of the living environment" (which included responses to pollution problems as well as disposal of waste as a sanitation issue) as one of its purposes and that it clarified the waste management responsibilities of businesses.

The Waste Management Law, which defines waste by classifying it as “municipal waste” or “industrial waste,” was the first law that established a legal definition of industrial waste. Moreover, like other pollution regulations, it placed responsibility for the treatment of waste generated through business activities on the businesses, based on the Polluter Pays Principle. Furthermore, the law stated that when a business manufactures, processes, or sells a product and the product (or its packaging, etc.) becomes waste, the manufacturer must ensure appropriate and easy disposal of that product, packaging, etc. In this way, it established the responsibilities of businesses that manufacture, process, sell, or engage in other activities related to products, packaging, etc.

In addition, the framework for waste management was also changed significantly. The responsibility for the disposal of municipal waste remained with municipalities, but the entire area of each municipality became the geographical basis for its waste management. For the newly-created category of industrial waste, disposal by businesses became the fundamental rule.

##### 1.2.2. Establishment of disposal standards for hazardous waste

At the time, disposal of hazardous industrial waste was the most urgent problem. Consequently, at the time of the Waste Management Law's enforcement in 1971, in order to make every effort to protect public health, strict standards were established for the final disposal of contaminated remaining materials that contain mercury, cadmium, and other hazardous substances.