On Tuesday, March 31, a seminar titled “Municipal solid waste management in Japan: Insights from the Far East” will be held in Grandori Room (Building 4) from 10:30 to 12:00 CET.
The seminar will be given by Kosuke Kawai, Chief Senior Researcher Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan.
Abstract
Do you know how waste is managed in Japan, a country located in the Far East? During the 1960s, a period of rapid economic growth, large amounts of waste were generated. Because landfill sites quickly became scarce, many incineration facilities were built across the country. Nowadays, about 80% of Japan’s municipal solid waste is treated by incineration. Food waste is incinerated together with non-separated municipal solid waste in many areas. However, some municipalities separately collect food waste on their own initiative. More advanced municipal waste management systems have been developed in such areas thanks to the separate collection of food waste. This presentation will introduce how municipal solid waste management is carried out in Japan and highlight good practices in waste valorization.