What Americans Can Learn from Japan's Waste-Treatment Processes

The success of waste-management policies in Japan should be the envy of all industrialized countries. Japan has embarked on a rigorous campaign to minimize waste and maximize recycling throughout the country for over a decade. Virtually every citizen and industry is educated about the benefits and processes of recycling, and makes conscious attempts to participate fully in this effort. On the other hand, across the United States, although waste management efforts are not completely non-existent, they are given significantly less priority and people certainly do not view the 3Rs (Recycling, Reuse and Reduce) as an important priority or way-of-life like the Japanese do.

In this paper, I will first examine the waste treatment processes in Japan with a focus on recycling in households. Japan's success can be largely attributed to its excellent waste separation and collection procedures. A major factor for this success is the conscientious cooperation of its people towards this cause. This paper will also address how the United States can achieve this similar success. Using the Japan system as an exemplar, I would like to make recommendations as to how Americans can learn from the Japanese and participate actively in recycling. An estimated 32% of all U.S. municipal waste is now recycled and there are about 9,000 curbside recycling programs operating nationwide. .But this is a far cry from the 70-80% municipal recycling rate in most parts of Japan. More specifically, I would also discuss briefly how Philadelphia can improve on her waste management policies and potentially become a role model for other cities to emulate, in the hope of awakening a nationwide consciousness to the importance of maximizing "potential resources" in the form of waste.

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