OVERVIEW OF JAPANESE LEGISLATION ON WASTE MANAGEMENT
(http://www2.kankyo.metro.tokyo.jp/anmc21_WM/legislation.htm)
BASIC LAW FOR THE RECYCLING BASED SOCIETY
The basic law which was enacted in 2000, provides that :
a) national government shall settle the national program for establishing the recycling-based society
b) following options shall be taken in this order, whenever environmentally beneficial and economically
viable:
1. Source reduction or waste prevention
2. Reuse
3. Recycling
4. Energy recovery
5. Appropriate disposal
The law also declares the general principle of "extended producer responsibility".
WASTE MANAGEMENT LAW
The law, which was enacted in 1970 and last amended in 2000, provides about:
a) Definition and classification of wastes,
b) Standards for waste treatment,
c) Establishing national policy and regional/municipal program on waste management,
d) Treatment of municipal waste by municipalities,
e) Authorization for waste transporters, treatment facilities and landfills,
f) Manifest system for industrial waste,
g) Official inspection and penalties, etc.
LAW FOR THE EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES
The law, which was enacted in 1991 and amended in 2000, provides that designated industries and
manufactures of designated products shall promote, following the standards set by the ministry:
a) reducing by-products (steel industries, chemical industries, etc.),
b) utilizing recycled resources (paper industries, construction industries, etc.),
c) reducing waste from end-of-life products, e.g. making products that are resource-saving, durable, easily
repaired, etc. (automobiles, PCs, furniture, electric appliances, etc.),
d) making products that are easily recycled, or manufacturing them reusing parts (automobiles, PCs, etc.),
e) labeling products for promoting recycling (cans, PET bottles, etc.),
f) taking back end-of-life products (PCs, rechargeable batteries).
OTHER RECYCLING LAWS
1. Packaging Recycling Law
The law provides that producers of containers and packaging, and businesses who use them, such as beverage
producers, are responsible for recycling container and packaging wastes, which are collected separately by
municipalities. Businesses can entrust the Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association with the
recycling.
2. Electric Appliances Recycling Law
This law obliges the retailers of the electric household appliances (i.e. TV sets, air conditioners, refrigerator,
washing machine) to take back end-of-life products, and manufacturers to recycle them.
3. Construction Waste Recycling Law
The law requires that, when constructing or demolishing buildings:
a) the owner shall notify the prefecture government of the plan on sorting and recycling of construction and
demolition waste, beforehand,
b) the constructor shall sort C&D wastes and recycle specified materials (i.e. wood, concrete and asphalt), and
report it to the owner.
The law also provides that the demolition businesses must be registered by the prefecture government.
4. Food Waste Recycling Law
This law provides that:
a) food businesses shall enhance source reduction and recycling of food waste,
b) food businesses who promote recycling and recycling facilities can be registered by ministry of agriculture.
5. End-of-life Vehicle Recycling Law
This law was enacted in July 2002, and will come into force in 2004.
Automobile manufacturers will be obliged to recycle or dispose of auto shredder residues (ASRs), air bags and
CFCs/HCFCs, coming from auto-recyclers. The fee shall be pre-paid by each consumer.