Reducing Household Waste: Japan Learns from Germany

The Generation of solid waste is a serious proble, worldwide, particularly among industrialized nations where the amount of solid waste generated continues to increase in both absolute and per capita terms.1 For the most part, muncipal governments are the bodies that must grapple with the various aspects of solid waste, including waste collection, transfer, and disposal. The rising cost and decreasing availability of landfills, as well as citizen opposition to proposed landfill sites, are making disposal increasingly problematic. Waste incineration is often employed to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills, but this practice is not without its environmental costs—including, increased air pollution and the creation of a potentially toxic end product (incinerator ash).