8 Things that Chinese Surprised about Waste Disposal in Japan

January 10, 2011 - Others - Tagged: China, Environment

We can’t live without making any waste. We separate and take out trash on the day a garbage truck comes. It is probably the same in your country.

"Nemo's great uncle" some rights reserved. flickr

According to a Japanese blog (the source below), a Chinese inspector who visited a Japanese waste treatment plant announced “8 Surprising Things about Waste Disposal in Japan” in his blog.

1: Taking out trash when they leave house for work.

2: The incinerators are beautiful buildings.

3: Heated swimming pool next to refuse treatment equipment.

4: Change to indoor shoes inside of a refuse treatment facility.

5: Garbage pickup days are set.

6: Separate trash minutely.

7: Elementary school students come to refuse treatment facility for a study tour.

8: Recycled furniture is very popular.

In Japan, when we throw a bottle away, we separate cap and bottle. Usually each municipality distributes a “garbage pickup day’s calendar” to households and people take out right types of garbage on the pickup day. Study tour at refuse treatment facility is common and some plants have equipment for child study. Wearing indoor shoes in the facility is probably just a cultural thing because we take off shoes in houses, and change into indoor shoes at school.

Since the 8 things are usual to us, it is interesting that the Chinese inspector find them surprising. I am sure that Japanese government learned some of them from other countries, so they are not Japanese original ideas but I hope these ideas help other countries’ waste treatment problems.

Source: Midac Shacho Blog