Cans of food and drink are considered "cans", but because cans of cooking oil (and engine oil) are made of a different material and also because they often contain leftover oil, they are not appropriate for recycling and should be thrown out as "non-burnable" garbage. Please do a good job of cleaning out the remaining oil in the cans before discarding them.
When you throw out cooking oil, be sure to freeze it first. This will prevent any fires that could be caused when hot oil comes into contact with paper or cloth.
Paper can be tied up with a string or it can be thrown out in the paper bags that are provided by newspaper companies. Divide your paper garbage into (1) newspapers and flyers, (2) magazines, books, and paper, (3) cardboard, (4) paper cartons (milk cartons). Clothes can be tied with a string or can be put into a plastic bag. Don't let the clothes get wet because they then become hard to recycle. On rainy days, put them in plastic bags.
From September 2004, gas cartridges and spray cans should be disposed of on the same day as bottles, but in a separate bag (not in "non-burnable garbage"). When you dispose of spray cans, please empty out the contents completely and then puncture the can somewhere where there is good air circulation.
Improperly disposed spray cans and gas cartridges can cause fires in garbage trucks and at the Clean Center. Last November, the Clean Center had to stop its services temporarily because of an explosion. In order to avoid that, it is necessary for you to dispose of the contents of such containers properly. First, empty the can of its contents fully. Then use a screwdriver or other tool to puncture the can and release the remaining gases. Finally, dispose of the can with the "non-burnable garbage". Make sure to puncture the can in an area that has good air circulation.
A lot of paper is being thrown into the "burnable" trash when in fact it is a valuable recycling resource. If you take the time to sort your used paper properly, it can be turned into cardboard boxes, newspaper, toilet paper, etc. Also, the process for recycling paper uses less energy than the process for creating paper from trees, so we can save both trees and energy by recycling paper properly. Please sort your used paper into (1) cardboard, (2) newspaper and flyers, (3) books, magazines, (4) other (writing paper, etc.). Tie up the papers with a string and put them out on the designated day. If it is raining, save the papers until the next appropriate day if possible. If you must throw the papers out on a rainy day, put them in a plastic bag. Items that cannot be recycled include envelopes with plastic windows, plastic-coated paper, photos, heat-sensitive paper, carbon paper, shredded paper, film, etc. Do not mix these items in with the recyclable papers.
Clothing made from cotton or wool can be recycled on "used paper and clothes" days. However, futons cannot be put out on the "used clothing" day. Futons and other large goods made of material are generally considered to be "oversized garbage" unless they are small enough to fit in a 40L garbage bag. If they can fit in a garbage bag, put them out as burnable garbage. Otherwise, arrange to have them disposed of as oversized garbage.
You cannot throw computers out in the regular city garbage. You also cannot bring computers to the Clean Center. They must be returned to the company that made them so that their parts can be recycled and reused. Computers that were built after October 10, 2003 have a "PC Recycle" mark (in Japanese) on them.
PET bottles are compacted into a 60x30x40cm cube and then sent to private recycling companies who then break the cubes up into flakes and clean them. Companies buy these flakes to make clothing, egg containers, etc. The bottle and the lid are made from different materials, so they have to be disposed of separately. Throw the bottle out on the day for PET bottles, and put the cap out with the burnable garbage. Please rinse the bottle out and take the label off if you can. Also, take the marble out of Ramune bottles.
As of October 1, 2004 motorbikes can be recycled. They can be taken to certain designated stores to be recycled. Fees will apply to bikes sold before October 1 (and some sold after, depending on where you take them). Bikes that are sold after October 1 will have a "recycle" mark on them.
Regular batteries and fluorescent lights can be put in specially marked boxes at city hall offices (except Kasuga) and kominkans (except Yatabe and Kukizaki) and the Kukizaki Rojin Fukushi Center. When disposing of batteries, please put tape over the + and - ends. Broken fluorescent lights should be disposed of as non-burnable garbage. Rechargeable batteries and button batteries can be taken to various electronics stores for disposal.
If the device still works, please try to give it away or sell it to someone who can use it. If the device doesn't work, and it is smaller than 50cm all around and can fit into a 40L garbage bag, it can be thrown out as non-burnable garbage. Otherwise, it is oversized garbage. However, please be aware that there are special rules for TVs, washing machines, fridges, freezers, air conditioners, and computers.
Long metal objects such as umbrellas and golf clubs can be thrown out as non-burnable garbage. Put them in a transparent or semi-transparent 40L bag. Do not use designated burnable garbage bags.
Topics: Garbage
Relevant for: Newcomers, Residents
Please note: While all efforts have been made to offer accurate and up-to-date information on this site, the information is presented as a guideline and is subject to change without notification. Phone numbers, addresses, and/or policies may have changed since this page was created. Please contact the appropriate section of the City Hall for confirmation of information and city policies.