A mountain town that sorts its rubbish into 45 categories
Kamikatsu, a small town in Tokushima, declared Japan's first zero-waste goal in 2003; residents wash, sort and bring their waste to a central station.
The small thing
Residents began washing their food packaging and carrying their own rubbish, sorted by type, to the town's collection centre instead of having it burned.
The problem
Kamikatsu, a mountain town on Shikoku with fewer than 1,500 residents, used to burn its rubbish in the open. Stricter rules forced it to stop, and its small incinerators were closed in 2001, leaving it to find another way to deal with waste.
Why Residents of Kamikatsu started
With open burning no longer allowed and incineration ended, the town expanded the sorting it had begun in 1997. In 2003 it became the first municipality in Japan to declare a zero-waste goal.
What they did
There is no household rubbish collection. Most residents take washed and sorted waste to the town's collection station, where it is divided into 45 categories (paper alone has several). A truck collects from elderly residents who cannot drive.
The town opened a reuse shop, Kurukuru, where people leave and take items free of charge, and a workshop that remakes old textiles. A Zero Waste Center opened in 2020. The non-profit Zero Waste Academy helps run the programme and certifies local businesses that cut waste.
What changed
Nippon.com reported a recycling rate of about 80% in 2021, against a Japanese national average of about 20%. WHYY reported that the town's zero-waste coordinator said recycling cost far less than incinerating everything. The town did not reach zero waste by 2020, and says the remaining fifth of its waste cannot be solved by residents alone.
What they learned
The town concluded that consumers alone cannot eliminate the last 20% of waste, and that business partnerships and product design must change too. Residents say sorting becomes habit once established, but some newcomers find it confusing and time-consuming.
“Once custom is changed, it becomes habit”Akira Sakano, Zero Waste Academy, as quoted by WHYY (The Pulse)
Copy this idea
Practical guidance written by our editors from the sources below. Adapt it to your place, and check local rules and safety first.
- Problem addressed
- Mixed household rubbish going to landfill or incineration.
- What to do
- Start a shared sorting point or a free swap shelf for your street, building, school or village.
- Materials and resources
- Labelled bins, a sheltered space, clear signage, a shelf or room for swaps.
- Approximate cost
- Low
- Skills
- Organising, knowing which local recyclers accept which materials.
- Time
- A few weeks to set up; regular upkeep.
- People needed
- A few volunteers plus the cooperation of households.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Risks and limitations
- Sorted material is wasted if no recycler will take it; check with your council or waste company first.
- How to adapt it
- Begin with three or four categories and add more as people get used to it.
- Lessons learned
- Make it easy and explain why; some waste can only be avoided by changes upstream.
Why it matters
Kamikatsu is small, and its model asks a lot of residents. But it shows that careful sorting, reuse and local facilities can divert most household waste from burning, and it highlights where manufacturers and retailers need to act.
What didn't work
The 2020 zero-waste goal was missed. Washing and drying packaging is seen as a burden by many residents, newcomers struggle with the system, and population decline is an added challenge (Nippon.com; WHYY).
Editor's note
The town missed its goal of zero waste by 2020 and has set a new plan running to 2030.
Sources: how do we know?
Evidence level: Documented. Supported by reliable published sources such as UN agencies, award bodies and reputable journalism. Not yet independently re-verified by our editors. What the person says and what independent sources establish are attributed separately in the text.
- reputable journalism
Kamikatsu: leading the world in waste reduction — Nippon.com, 2023Supports: Population; 2003 declaration; incinerator closure 2001; 45 categories; ~80% recycling in 2021; Zero Waste Center 2020; Kurukuru; missed 2020 goal; new plan. - reputable journalism
'Zero waste' town in Japan recycles most of its trash — Sonia Narang, WHYY (The Pulse), 18 October 2018Supports: No collection trucks; residents bring waste; 45 categories; Zero Waste Academy; cost comparison; resident difficulties; quote. - organisational
Zero Waste Town Kamikatsu — Kamikatsu Zero Waste Academy / Kamikatsu townSupports: Organisation's own account of sorting history from 1997, 2003 declaration, reuse shop dates, goals to 2030.