Japanese city to name and shame people who break litter rules

For the uninitiated, sorting trash can be a complicated process in Japan, a country that has some of the strictest trash disposal regulations in the world.

But in the city of Fukushima, things are about to get even more difficult.

Starting in March, the city government will review garbage bags that do not comply with regulations, such as those that have not been properly sorted or that exceed size limits, and in some cases will publicly identify their owners.

The new regulations, approved at a municipal meeting on Tuesday, come amid Japan’s long effort to improve its waste management system.

While many cities in Japan open garbage bags for inspection, and some allow disclosure of offending companies, Fukushima is believed to be the first city that plans to reveal the names of both individuals and companies, according to local media.

Last year, Fukushima reported more than 9,000 cases of non-compliant garbage.

Currently, instead of picking up trash that doesn’t meet disposal standards, workers often stick stickers on trash bags to inform residents of the violation. Residents would then have to take their trash inside, resort it, and hope to get it right the next time the collectors come.

Under Fukushima’s new rules, if trash remains unsorted for a week, city workers can go through it and try to identify violators through items like mail. Violators will receive a verbal warning, followed by a written notice, before the last resort: posting their names on the government website.

Amid privacy concerns, Fukushima authorities said the garbage inspection would be carried out in private.

Each Japanese city has its own guides on how to dispose of trash. In Fukushima, garbage bags must be placed at the collection points every morning at 08:30, but cannot be left out from the night before.

The different types of garbage, separated into combustible, non-combustible and recyclable, are collected according to different schedules.

For items that exceed the stipulated dimensions, such as appliances and furniture, residents will need to make an appointment for collection separately.

Fukushima Mayor Hiroshi Kohata said the new rules were intended to promote waste reduction and proper disposal methods.

“There is nothing illegal about advertising malicious waste generators who do not respect the rules and do not follow the city’s guidance and advice,” authorities said, according to Mainichi.

Litter is taken very seriously in Japan, where since the 1990s the government has made it a national goal to move away from landfills, reduce waste and promote recycling. Local authorities have introduced their own initiatives in line with this objective.

Residents of Kamikatsu, a Japanese city with an ambitious zero-waste goal, proudly sort their trash into 45 categories. Kagoshima Prefecture has made it mandatory for residents to write their names on their garbage bags. And last year, the city of Chiba tested an artificial intelligence assistant to help residents dispose of their trash properly.