## 4 ) Measures for waste and recycling

In Japan, about 50 million tons of municipal wastes are disposed of annually since 1989 and the amount has remained at the same level for these past several years. Of the wastes, 78.1% is directly incinerated and 10.87 million tons are treated as final disposal. The average national capacity of municipal landfill sites is 12.3 years in 1999.

The total amount of industrial wastes disposed of remains at the same level in these past several years. In 1999, the amount decreased slightly from that of the previous year, resulting in about 400 million tons and the amount of final disposal was about 50 million tons, a decrease from the previous year's in terms of the proportion to the total disposal amount. The average national capacity of landfill sites was 3.7 years in 1999, presenting a more difficult situation than municipal wastes. In particular, the capacity in metropolitan areas is 1.2 years, which is a particularly difficult situation.

Changes in amount of municipal wastes disposed

Changes in recycling rate

$$ Note:\begin{aligned}Steel can resource regeneration rate=\frac{weight of steel can scrap utilized weight}{weight of steel can produced}\times100\end{aligned} $$

Waste recycling rate (FY)

$$ However,in1999,steelcanrecyclingrate=\frac{weightofsteelcanrecovered}{weightofsteelcanconsumed} $$

/sed paper recovery rate=result of user paper received + result of used paper pump received - result of used paper imported + result of used paper exported

net consumption amount = result of paper and sheet paper delivered + import result - export result

Glass bottle cullet utilization rate = $ \frac{Cullet\ utilization\ amount}{glass\ bottle\ production\ amount} $ X100 * Cullet: Produced by crushing class bottles into pieces.

$$ Aluminum can resource regeneration rate=\frac{Weight of regenerated aluminum can}{weight of aluminum can consumed}\times100 $$

$$ However,in1999,aluminum recycling rate=\frac{weight of aluminum cans consumed}{weight of aluminum cans recovered} $$

Changes in amount of industrial wastes disposed

$$ Waste recycling rate=\frac{amount of direct recycling+amount reutilized after intermediate treatment+amount of mass recovery}{total amount waste treated+amount of mass recovery}\times100 $$

$$ PET bottle recovery rate=\frac{Amount collected}{amount produced}\times100 $$

Presentation: Prepared by the Ministry of the Environment based on the data supplied by the Steel can Recycling Association, A@Paper Recycling Promotion Center, Glass Bottle Recycling Promotion Association, Aluminum can Recycling Association, "Domestic waste disposal and treatment general condition [result of 1999]" prepared by the Ministry of the Environment, and data supplied by the PET bottle recycling Council

Note: The value marked by * indicates the amount disposed of in 1996 in the "target for reduction of the amount of wastes disposed" (determined by the Government on September 28, 1999) that was set by the Government, setting the target for 2010, based on the Basic Guidelines of Japan for the Promotion of Measures against Dioxins. The amount of wastes disposed of was calculated using the same calculation condition. Presentation: Prepared by the Ministry of the Environment based on "Calculation of industrial wastes and treatment condition (implemented in 1999)"

To solve these problems, waste and recycling measures must be implemented keeping in mind the following priority rule stipulated in the Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-Based Society firstly reduction of waste generation, secondly reuse of used products and components, thirdly recycling as materials, fourthly energy recovery, and finally, proper disposal.

Regarding recovery and recycling status, the recycling rate combining resource regeneration implemented by municipalities and mass recovery by resident groups is only 13.1% in 1999. Although the rate is increasing each year, it is still at a low level. The individual recycling status in 2000 shows 84.2% for steel cans, 80.6% for aluminum cans, and 77.8% for glass bottle cullet (crushed used bottles) utilization rate. The rate of recycling used papers is slightly increasing, which is 57.0%. The recovery rate of PET bottles is also increasing each year and has reached 34.5% in 2000.

1,027 cases of illegal disposal of industrial waste were detected in FY 2000, and the tonnage dumped remained fairly stable at around 400,000 tonnes per year recently.