In my study abroad in Japan I was constantly comparing different aspects and culture to that back home in the U.S. One of the biggest differences that I became aware of was that of waste culture and waste management. One of the most prominent things in public spaces is the lack of both litter as well as trash cans. This was strange to me as an American as I believed that a lack of public trash cans would lead to litter being prevalent in spaces such as train stations, this however is not the case. This state of cleanliness of public stations stems from Japanese culture and values of cleanliness. Many Japanese beliefs from Buddhism and Shintoism value and prioritize cleanliness and these values are passed down both in the home and at school. This cleanliness was shocking to me as a foreigner. Nearly every product sold in convenience stores comes wrapped in plastic and as such I would expect waste bins to be made available, however many Japanese citizens are expected to carry their trash until they are back home. This concept was often annoying to our travel group as we desperately searched for trash cans wherever we went. When we did find a trash can we were often met with a confusing and foreign sorting system.
This waste sorting system was difficult to comprehend at first to many in our group as it separated waste into different bins, often separating combustibles, noncombustible, bottles, and cans. We learned more about this waste sorting system and the waste disposal of Japan when we traveled to the Suginami Incineration Plant.
Here we learned how Tokyo stays clean and how waste is managed and dealt with in an efficient manner. We learned and got to witness how waste collection trucks pick up waste and bring it to the plant. From here the waste is collected and later burned in the incinerator. Through various filtration processes this burning does not cause a significant amount of contamination and fumes are cleaned and are prevented from causing odor. The size of this facility was truly impressive as giant claw machines distribute the trash evenly and are used to move the waste to the incinerator. The most impressive aspect of the facility was the electricity generated. Through a generator within the incineration plant electrical energy can be created from the burned trash and this electricity is collected to power the plant. All additional energy is then sold off to power the surrounding neighborhoods.
By viewing the waste management system of Japan I was able to connect how this personal responsibility of waste management affects public health. When individuals are tasked with sorting their own waste in meticulous collection bins you can understand how individual responsibilities are highlighted in Japanese culture and how this can affect many different institutions including business and public health throughout the country.
It was truly interesting to see a waste management system that is so incredible but entirely different than that of the United States.