Hey all, I’m from America and living in Japan! So far it’s been great and everyone has been very friendly. I have a question about recycling at my home apartment. We have no recycling bins outside and I’ve done a lap around the complex to make sure of this. Every Monday and Friday the trash collectors come to pick up the garbage. From what I can tell (from looking at others trash) it appears to only be burnable garbage. I was given a trash guide at city hall for my area as well as 3 differently colored and sized bags that way “burnable trash” on them. I understand how to separate the trash. I just don’t know when or how to recycle and I have a lot of Amazon cardboard boxes and plastic/glass bottles that have really stored up. I need to clean my apartment and get this stuff out of here or I’ll go nuts.
My trash sheet city hall gave me says recycling is only collected twice a month but that’s all I got.
How do I figure out how to recycle? Do I need special recycling bags?
Can I just break down my boxes and place it out there with them?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
(I haven’t been able to ask a neighbor because I never see any oddly enough).
8 comments
If your recycling is only picked up twice a month, then your recycling is only picked up twice a month— which sucks and seems odd to me, but I live in a big city with recycling done weekly, so maybe you live in a less populated area?
In general you cut cardboard down and tie the pieces up with twine to make a nice little package. For PET bottles you wash them, remove the wrapper and caps, and put them in a trash bag. There should be instructions on the trash sheets your city gave you.
Unless your building instructs otherwise, put them down by the trash collection site on the morning of the correct trash day. But again, normally you have received instructions from your apartment building about this.
Any supermarkets nearby? They usually have large recycling bins outside for various things, including cardboard, glass, plastic and pet bottles. I use that more that my collection point, which is once a week for those things.
Does your trash guide from city hall not say anything about the recycling? Mine always do. Or if you can tell us the city you’re in I can Google and see if that info is online for you (in Japanese only I would assume)
Is there a sign at the place where people put the garbage? Usually there will be a sign that says what garbage is picked up which day. If you don’t have bins, you probably have a net where you should put the garbage under, or you have to use a trash location nearby the apartment on the same street (not all apartment complexes have their own garbage area).
Otherwise try to ask the management company for your apartment, they should have info on that.
Are you sure your building doesn’t have a room or small building outside for recyclables?
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I use an app called threeR. Was skeptical at first but I confirmed it was correct when I checked our block’s collection days for metal/pet bottles etc.
Shingu city has an English language PDF guide on how to separate out your rubbish. Except of course the link is written in Japanese, so I’m not sure how they expect foreigners who can’t read Japanese to find it. https://www.city.shingu.lg.jp/info/177 You want the file named 家庭ごみの分け方・出し方（英語版）
I think others have linked you to the calendars and app for knowing when to take your recycling to the Eco Hiroba.
But I’m also struggling to see anywhere that says where the Eco Hiroba actually is. Your best bet is to ask one of your neighbours or maybe the town hall.