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, kateigomi, 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.

Upon moving in you will usually receive something looking like this (the below is for Meguro City in Tokyo):

Let’s start with the most straightforward: burnables. Anything soiled by food (or anything really – if it cannot be cleaned) ends up in this category: kitchen waste, old pens, napkins and tissues, styrofoam boxes like the natto ones, and also the plastic wrapping on PET bottles (we’ll get to those later). 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… Some areas will also included rinsed food containers in this category. 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. Note that most areas will not accept anything bigger than 30cm – then it will fall into the Bulk Waste category.

Recyclables: it’s not that hard, thankfully! But there may be local guidelines, for example, PET bottles may (or may not) need to have their labels peeled off (and added to burnables), same for the caps – often they go in a separate box in the trash area. 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 go with the cans (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 wait for the day before collection to bring your trash down there. 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. Given it’s outside, you should bring it out the night before collection. 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 is usually once or twice a week depending on where you live.

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!