It’s Garbage! How to Sort Trash in Japan

Ah… The topic of sorting trash in Japan.

I feel like it’s one of the most famous puzzles: what to sort, how to sort it, when to put it out…

To be fair, it took me a very long while to (kind of) understand the basic concept of it.

There are four prominent parts: 燃えるゴミ (moerugomi, burnable – also sometimes 燃やすゴミ, moyasugomi or 可燃ごみ, kanen gomi, same meaning), 燃えないゴミ (moenaigomi, non burnables, sometimes also 燃やせないゴミ, moyasenaigomi) and finally 資源ゴミ (shigengomi, recycables).

The fourth one is quite different, and we’ll cover it in another article: 粗大ゴミ (sodaigomi, bulky waste). It takes a few more steps to get rid of – and a fee!

Before we actually start – let me say first that… rules depend on where you live. Yes. And within Tokyo, each ward will have its own way of doing things. It can also be more or less strict depending on your neighborehood. So don’t just trust us blindly – compare with the information packet that you should have received when you moved in, or look for the notice posted at your garbage collection location.

The examples below mostly refer to Meguro City, Tokyo. Your municipality may sort things differently, so always check your local guide. Upon moving in you will usually receive something looking like this (the below is for Meguro City in Tokyo (in Japanese)):

Let’s start with the most straightforward: burnables. Kitchen waste, napkins and tissues belong here. Plastic packaging with food stains that cannot be rinsed off also goes here in Meguro, but clean plastic containers, styrofoam boxes and PET bottle labels belong with plastic recyclables. So the natto box may need a quick rinse rather than a one-way ticket to the burnables! Not everything dirty is burnable, though: glass and metal follow different rules. Put them together in a transparent bag (no black bags here!) and seal it well. Just like anywhere else, make sure that there are no liquids left so that it doesn’t leak. I always thought “burnable may be the best” (as in, it can be melted). I figured it out when I read about Kyoto planning to change the name of burnables to 燃えるしかない (moerushikanai, can only be burnt). Yes. As in, it cannot be recycled!

Non-burnables is a bit more of a blurry category, but you can think of it as (mostly) anything you wouldn’t want to throw in a fire: ceramics, glass, gas and spray cans, lighters, lightbulbs… The material matters: in Meguro, plastic containers belong with plastic recyclables if clean, or burnables if the stains cannot be removed. Gas cartridges, spray cans and lighters also need special care: in Meguro, use up the contents, put them in a separate bag marked 危険 (danger), and contact the waste collection office if you cannot empty them. Depending on the size, you may use a plastic bag or put them as-is in the container set out for them if they are a bit bigger. In Meguro, items with a side roughly 30cm or longer generally fall into the bulky waste category; check your municipality for its size limits and exceptions.

Recyclables: it’s not that hard, thankfully! But there may be local guidelines, for example, in Meguro, remove the labels and caps from PET bottles, rinse and drain the bottles, and flatten them sideways. Clean caps and labels go with plastic recyclables, not burnables. Other municipalities may have different instructions. Cardboard will usually have its own space, please fold it flat. Interestingly, tissue boxes are also expected to be folded flat, and same goes for milk cartons. Glass bottles and cans are also collected as recyclables, but keep them sorted as your local guide requests (and rinse them!).

That’s it for the main part. But the story doesn’t end here: when and where to put out your garbage will depend not only on the area where you live, but also on whether it’s an apartment in a shared building or a house.

For an apartment, there will mainly be three options:

1 – There is a garbage room, with a specific space set aside for all of these different trash types. A place for burnables. A place for non-burnables – sometimes split, with a specific box for all the broken umbrellas, a smaller one for batteries… A stack of cardboard, a stack of magazines and newspapers… Just copy your neighbors and you should be fine (or else someone may angrily set it aside and you get to try again!).

2 – There is a garbage room, but they do not want you to use it at any time. While it is roughly the same as the previous one, the “rule” is to bring your trash down only at the times allowed by the building. This may differ from the municipal rules for putting bags out on the street. A calendar will be available to know when, either in that same area, or posted somewhere visible.

3 – There is no garbage room but a smaller dumpster. Similarly to case #2, bringing down your trash on the wrong day means your trash won’t be collected and a note will be posted on it saying “wrong day”. The “you’re wrong” note can also be used if you mixed different types of trash together. Open up your bag, and try again. As the bags are clear, they won’t get picked up until it’s good to go.

For a house, you will have to find the closest dedicated area to put your trash out on the street. Check the collection day and time before putting anything outside. In Meguro, put it out on the morning of collection, before 8am, not the night before. You may recognize the area by the big net placed there, oftentimes near a sign reminding people of the collection schedule. And please use the net to protect your bags… Trash is a crow’s favorite treat and they will make a gigantic mess out of it if it isn’t well secured.

Collection frequency depends on both where you live and the type of waste. In Meguro, burnables are collected twice a week, recyclables once a week, and non-burnables generally twice a month. Check the calendar for your exact address.

I hope I managed to make it clearer – my tips being, be on time, separate everything according to the rules to avoid being denied pick up and being stuck with trash until the next collection date… And copy your neighbors! But if in doubt, the official sorting guide and collection calendar get the final say.

Information last checked: 10 October 2026. The Meguro examples were checked against the official English sorting guide, the April 2026 sorting list (in Japanese) and the collection calendar (in Japanese). The illustrations above are the examples included in the original 2024 article; use the latest local guide for current rules.