Garbage disposal sites are expected to reach their limit in a few years, and the burning of waste results in dioxin pollution, so recycling has become important as a solution for reducing the amount of trash. This law is based on dividing the cost of garbage disposal among companies, consumers, and municipalities, as compared to when disposal costs were formerly covered by taxes. When consumers discard a receptacle, they are required to presort it for the designated municipality pick-up areas, where it is collected for recycling by the manufacturers. Beginning in April 2000, paper and plastic packaging will also be subject to recycling under this law.
Electrical products discarded by Japanese households are almost all disposed of in landfills.
The Specific Household Electrical Appliance Recycling Law was enacted in 1998 in an effort to reduce the volume of such landfill disposal. This law, which is to go into effect in 2001, covers air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines. Many household electrical product manufacturers have already begun recycling materials, and many manufacturers of other products, such as copy machines, personal computers, portable telephones, and vending machines, are also moving forward with recycling efforts.