Daily waste volume generated per capita Japan FY 2013-2022
In the fiscal year 2022, the average daily volume of waste produced per capita in Japan amounted to around 880 grams, a decrease from around 958 grams in fiscal year 2013. The total amount of waste generated in the country stood at around 40 million metric tons in the same fiscal year, indicating a downwards trend as well. Household waste remained the largest type of generated waste in Japan.
Waste in Japan
The majority of waste collected in Japan is processed in facilities for incineration, disruption, or recycling. The waste that cannot be either incinerated or recycled is cast into landfill. The volume of final waste disposed in landfill amounted to approximately 3.4 million metric tons. Despite the steady decrease in the amount of final waste, Japan is facing a shortage of landfill sites, as the remaining capacity of landfill sites is shrinking.
Recycling
Sorting of waste in Japan is usually done by the citizens. Waste must be subdivided into categories for collection and it is not picked up if the strict waste separation rules are not followed. Throughout the past decade, the recycling rate of the total waste remained at around 20 percent. Paper was the material that was most recycled both from the waste collected by municipalities and community groups.
