Vacant houses and garbage problems 2

Garbage-related issues are common even among Japanese people, and for foreign immigrants, it can be an even more challenging problem. I often hear locals complain that newcomers don't follow the rules for garbage disposal, but it's also common that those who complain don't directly tell the person involved or explain the rules in a way that foreign residents can easily understand. To help avoid these problems, I would like to share a few more details about proper garbage disposal.

In my previous article, I briefly talked about garbage stations. Managing garbage stations is one of the most troublesome issues in Japan due to the country's complex garbage collection rules and community dynamics. While garbage collection is mainly handled by the city, garbage stations are often managed by smaller groups, like neighborhood associations. There are many types of garbage stations and rules for using them.

In urban areas with many high-rise buildings, residents often have their own garbage stations on their condominium premises.

Some garbage stations are box-shaped or shed-shaped and made of metal mesh, others have only nets to keep cats and crows away, and some are simply designated areas with only a trash separation chart posted on the wall.

If the garbage station is well-protected from animals like cats, crows, and rats, taking out your trash in the middle of the night might not bother anyone. However, if neighbors are worried about smells, or if the garbage station is in a spot easily accessed by animals, you may need to take out your trash only an hour or two before the garbage truck arrives.

Neighborhood associations collect membership fees and use community effort to set up and maintain these garbage stations. Some areas have rules that restrict station use to those who pay membership fees or help with maintenance. In these cases, people who aren’t members may have to hand their garbage directly to the garbage truck or take it themselves to a disposal site.

As a side note, there have been cases where people who were not allowed to use garbage stations started throwing their household garbage into trash cans at convenience stores, supermarkets, and parks. Because of this, many parks and vending machine areas have removed their trash cans, and more stores have moved their trash cans inside.

A shed-shaped garbage station made of metal mesh.

In some areas, you don't need to be a member of a neighborhood association to use the garbage station, so many people choose not to join. However, those who do join often complain about residents who are free-riding.

As mentioned in 'Renovating and Residing in Affordable Properties in Japan - Part 4: What to Do After Buying a House and Before Starting Renovations,' young people who join neighborhood associations in depopulated areas often face various chores or experience power or sexual harassment due to generational and value differences.

As we've advised many times in this series, when buying a house or moving to a new area in Japan, it's important to research not just the house but also the local community by talking to the residents around you.

Rules on how to separate garbage vary by region, as they are set by each city. Some cities require detailed garbage separation, while others allow disposal with little or no sorting. This often leaves people wondering why rules differ between cities.

The differences are partly due to whether a city focuses on recycling, but the main reason is the processing capacity of local garbage disposal facilities. In Japan, the issue of dioxin pollution became widely recognized in the late 1990s, leading to the enactment of a dioxin control law in 2000. Since then, the government has been updating incineration facilities to produce less dioxin, but progress varies by municipality.

In areas with low-capacity waste treatment facilities, residents are required to sort their waste into smaller categories to reduce the strain on facilities and minimize the production of dioxin and other harmful substances. Additionally, many municipalities prohibit individuals from burning garbage in their own yards to prevent dioxin generation.

In Japan, many cities sell their own garbage bags, and garbage collection is only allowed when using the official bags sold by the city. This system helps the city cover the cost of operating garbage disposal facilities by collecting additional fees from residents through the sale of these bags, on top of regular city taxes.

You can pick up a pamphlet at the city hall that explains how to properly dispose of garbage. It's a good idea to read it first, and if you have any questions, you can ask the city hall staff or the staff at the garbage disposal facility.

I’d like to highlight some types of waste produced during DIY renovations that require careful disposal.

First, solvents like paint thinner and oil-based paints should never be poured down the drain or onto the ground. Coagulants for paints and solvents can be found at home improvement centers and online stores.

Some people soak paper or cloth in paint or solvent without using a coagulant and dispose of it, but this can lead to spontaneous combustion due to oxidation reactions with oil-based paints. It's important to take proper precautions to prevent this risk.

Debris such as plasterboard, glass, and concrete fragments from demolition and repair work are generally considered industrial waste and are not collected by the city’s residential garbage service. In most cases, these materials must be taken to a disposal site or handled by a private waste disposal company. (Small amounts of glass fragments may be collected by city garbage trucks on designated days as noncombustible trash.)

Gypsum board is particularly problematic because, if landfilled, it can release harmful hydrogen sulfide gas. Disposal regulations for gypsum board may become stricter in the future. While gypsum board can be recycled if it hasn't been exposed to water, many general disposal facilities do not offer recycling services for it. If you want to recycle gypsum board, you should find a company that specializes in this service and arrange for them to collect it.

In many old Japanese wooden houses, the walls are made of soil. When these walls are broken during floor plan changes, a large amount of soil and sand is generated. This soil is considered industrial waste when discarded, but since it is just soil, it can be buried on-site and disposed of by the homeowner or reused as material for new earthen walls (For more information on mud walls, see my previous posts 'Life in an Old Japanese House Vol. 10: Japanese House Walls Part 1' and 'Life in an Old Japanese House Vol. 10: Japanese House Walls Part 2'). The soil used for earthen walls can vary by region, so it's important to note that clayey soil is often used. Care should be taken to ensure good drainage when using this soil to fill in garden areas.

Mud wall collapsed due to rain leakage.

Slate materials used for roofs and walls that may contain asbestos might be refused at waste disposal sites, even if you bring them yourself. In these cases, you'll need to hire a contractor to handle the disposal. However, in many areas, finding a local contractor can be challenging, and you might need to have one travel from a distance, which can be quite expensive. Disposal of asbestos-containing materials is generally costly.