Implementation of Circular Economy in Japan (Case Study Sakura Environmental Center,

Saitama City)

1.1.Preface
As we enter the tenth year of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, nations around
the world, including Japan have upped their efforts in tackling economic, social, and environmental
chellenges. The proposed notion of development has not totally alleviated these issues, thus the
Sustainable Development targets (SDGs) which have 17 targets, are intended to be a model of
development in a world that is adapted to human wellbeing (Masruroh et al., 2022). Sustainable
development is an approach that ensures justice and the implementation of governance that can
sustain improvements in quality of life from one generation to the next while also maintaining the
economic welfare of the community in a sustainable manner through the community’s social life.
One of the current attempts to achieve sustainable development is the development of innovations
that serve the needs of both the environment and human wellbeing. Circular economy concept is
one of them. A circular economy has been proposed everywhere as an alternative to the linear
economy, which has long been a prevalent development economic model. The linear economy, a
conventional economic paradigm that has only ever moved in one direction, is commonly believed
to be the cause for the current global environment disaster because it only works in a straight line
beginning with take, make, and dispose (Sillanpaa & Ncibi, 2019). Contrary to the linear economic
model, the circular economy concept does not have a straight model, instead, it represents products
that have been used, then recycled. Economic system based on the four basic ideas of product, use,
end of life, and remanufacture (Masruroh et al., 2022) aiming for a sustainable economy because
in this system, the remaining consumption that has diminished value is turned into items that could
possibly be reused. This model preserves environmental ecosystem sustainability and balance in
addition to economic aspects.
The waste problem is one specific example on how this system is put into practice. For
developing countries, the waste problem might not have a solution yet, while country like Japan
have regulation addressing integrated waste processing facilities that are available in their regions.
In Waste Management Law 1970, waste refers to refuse, bulky refuse, ashes, sludge, excreta, easte
oil, waste acid, and alkali, carcasses and other filthy and unnecessary matter, which are in solid or
liquid state, excluding radioactive waste and was polluted by radioactivity. In general, Japan
separates garabage accprding to the 3R principle, which stands for reduce, reuse, and recycle with
as much emphases as possible placed on the reused principle. Things such as refilling water bottles,
fixing broken tools or items such as computers, tables, chairs are some examples on how they
maximise an item’s time in use. By taking this measure, stacks of damaged equipment will be less
frequent (Mohamad Soerjani, 2008: 53). According to its history, waste recycling has actually been
practised by Japanese society from the Edo period of the 19th century. They create a very
sustainable society one that would fit circularity and certainly come up with almost all of the SDGs
targets. One of the aspects of circularity that offered is upcycling and try to design things that are
modular so things can be renewed :
• Demolished Building in the Edo Period
Every single part of the building could be used for instance the large wooden beams, where
people would come and buy there. The door also modular and could be instantly taken and
put to use in another house. This practise is prolonging the life of things.

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 • Clothing products
Kimono, the Japanese traditional garment, is mae from one rectangular cloth which
produces almost no scarp under manufacturing. It is usually designed to be worn by several
people with different body shapes which makes it more possible to be inherited through
generations. This can be proven by also there were so many used clothing sellers.
• Fertilizers (shimogoe) for agricultural needs
Farmers in the Edo Period purchased human waste as a fertilizer. This kept the city cleaned
and helped farmers grow nutritious vegetables.

Big things is how did they do that and a lot of it was just the way they thought. There is
something people nowadays can learn so in this era, water, forests, energy, waste, and food are
connected. People of the Edo Period understand this very well even when they do not understand
about the scientific reason or understanding, but empically and through their experience they knew
that thing are connected. This why waste become the thing that government of Japan concerning
until know. Japan has had rapid industrial development since the Meiji Restoration in 1868, making
it one of the nations with robust economies. It turns out, though, that this also has a highly negative
effect on the ecosystem. Garbage is one particularly one of the negative effect. On the other hand,
the Edo people had actually started using this circular economy strategy back then.
The Japanese government began to make new policies regarding waste, namely by making
laws regarding waste management such as: Waste Management Law, in 1970 regarding waste
management law, then added Law for Promotion of Utilizaton of Recycled Reseources in 1991
concerning law for promotion of the use of recycled resources, added again Containers and
Packaging Recycling Law in 1995 concerning the law of recycling containers and packaging, then
added the Home Appliance Recycling Law in 1998 concerning the law of recycling household
appliances, until 2000 there were still more Foundation Law for Establishing a Sound Material-
Cycle Society, Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources, Green Purchasing Law,
and Food Recycling Law on basic laws for building healthy societies, laws for the promotion of
effective use of resources, green purchasing laws and food recycling laws (MOE: Ministry of the
Environment of Japan, 2003). In the law, it is written that waste in Japan is divided into two
categories, namely industrial waste and general waste (Juko Kawasaki, 2005: 1). Industrial waste
is managed by the company concerned, but supervised by the government, while household waste
is managed directly by the government (Hideo Hosokawa, 1995: 123).

1.2.Method
The author uses qualitative descriptive research techniques to discuss this writing. The
measures used by the author in processing and analysing this research are to gather information
via literature from books, newspapers, and articles from the internet that are related to the subject
of the study.

1.3.Result
a. History of Waste Management in Japan
Waste is defined by the American Public Health Association (APHA) as anything
undesired, abandoned, or discarded that results from human activity and does not happen
naturally. Litter volume has increased from the previous year. Moreover, the rapidly growing
population also has an impact on the year. In order to overcome this, it is required to adjust
the amount of waste now produced to the amount of land, trucks used for waste transportation,

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and facilities for managing waste, such as land, equipment, and human resources, that are
readily available. So, managing garbage locally is important for environmental protection.
Waste, according to Waste Business Journal (n.d.), is material that has been thrown because it
is no longer valuable to the owner, damaged, ineffectual, or incapable of use. Also mentioned
is the fact that garbage can be either solid or liquid. Waste liquid form is referred to as waste,
while solid waste is referred to as solid waste. According to the definition given above, waste
is a substance that has been squandered as a result of natural or human processes that have not
yet become economically valuable. General waste and industrial garbage are defined in Law
No. 137/1970 that garbage is divided into two general categories, namely general waste and
industrial waste. Common waste is kitchen waste and large garbage generated by households,
and paper waste produced by offices. Meanwhile, industrial waste is waste produced by
factories, and according to the law, it is divided into nineteen types, such as embers, oil, mud,
and others (Fujisōgōkenkyūjo, 2001: 10).

Figure 1. History of Waste Management

Japan, one of the developed country in the world, already put in an effort to cope with
waste problems that have evolved over the years, the Japanese government has enacted and
revised laws and cooperated with local governments, private business operators, and residents
in order to handle the waste problem, use and effective resources, as well as the steady
development of a sound material cycle society. The Japanese government coped and solved
such problems by focusing on the following aspects :
1. Public health.
2. Pollution prevention and environmental protection.
3. Establishment of a sound material-cycle society, and high priority issues in different
periods.

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 Period Major Issues Laws Enacted
Post-war period to the 1950s • Waste management for Public Cleansing Act
environmental sanitation (1954)
• Maintenance of a healthy and
comfortable living
environment
1960s to 1970s • Increase in the amount of • Act on Emergency
industrial waste and Measures concerning
emergence of pollution the Development of
problems as a result of rapid Living Environment
economic growth Facilities (1963)
• Waste management for • Waste Management Act
environmental protection (1970)
• Revision of the Waste
Management Act
(1976)
1980s • Promotion of the • Wide-area Coastal
development of waste Environment
management facilities Development Center
• Environmental protection Act (1981)
requird for waste • Private Sewerage
management System Act (Johkasoh
Law) (1983)
1990s • Waste generation control and • Revision of the Waste
recycling Management Act
• Establishment of various (1991)
recycling systems • Act to Promote the
• Management of hazardous Development of
substances (including Specified Facilitiew for
dioxins) the Disposal of
• Introduction of a proper waste Industrial Waste (1992)
management system to cope • Japanese Basel Act
with diversification in the (1992)
type and nature of waste • Basic Environment Act
(1993)
• Containers and
Packaging Recycling
Act (1995)
• Revision of the Waste
Management Act
(1997)
• Home Appliance
Recycling Act (1998)

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 • Act on Special
Measures against
Dioxins (1999)
• 2000s • Promotion of 3R measures • Basic Act for
aimed at the establishment of Establishing a Sound
a sound material-cycle Material Cycle Society
society (2000)
• Enhancement of industrial • Construction Recycling
waste management Act (2000)
• Enhancement of illegal • Food Recycling Act
dimping regulations (2000)
• Revision of the Waste
Management Act
(2000)
• Act on Special
Measures concerning
Promotion of Proper
Treatment of PCB
Wastes (2001)
• Automobile Recycling
Act (2002)
• Act on Special
Measures concerning
Removal of
Environmental
Problems Caused by
Specified Industrial
Wastes (2003)
• Revision of the Waste
Management Act (2003
to 2006, 2010)
• Small Home Appliance
Recycling Act (2013)
Table 1. History of Waste Management in Japan

Era of public health improvement

• Situation subsequent to the Meiji Restoration (late 19th to early 20th centuries)
Japan has had rapid industrial development since the Meiji Restoration in 1868, making it
one of the nations with robust economies. It turns out, though, that this also has a highly
negative effect on the ecosystem. Waste is one very negative effect (Norie Huddle and Michael
Reich, 1975: 26). This is the era of public health improvement wear at the beginning of
modernization, waste was treated by waste generators or by private waste treatment operators
who collected waste and selected valuables to sell and resulting a profit. Because there is no
official rule about this yet, waste was often discarded by waste treatment operators on
roadsides or vacant lots and was piled up in unsanitary conditions and resulting in increasing
contact between humans and objects, various infectious diseases spread. Eventually, it became

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 important to maintain the cleanliness of towns, including waste dump sites that provided
breeding ground for files, moquitoes, and rats that carried infectous diseases, and this was how
the era of public health improvement started.
To solve the problem, the first policy “Waste Cleaning Act” was legislated in 1900 in
order to improve public health. The Waste Cleaning Act defined the collection and disposal of
waste as the responsibility of the municipalities and placed waste treatement operators under
the supervision of government organizations to establish a waste administration system. It is
written in the act that waste should be incinerated if possible. However, since waste
incineration facilities were not generally available, waste materials were pilled up out in the
open and continuously burned with more materials added all the time.
• Post-war period (1945 to 1950s)
During post-war period, Japan faced the need to deal with urban waste the amount of which
continued to increase rapidly as a result of economic development and urban population
concentration. At the same time, waste was dumped into rivers and the ocean or pilled up in
the open, causing public health problems such as plagues of flies and mosquitos and the spread
of infectious diseases.

Figure 2. Waste Collection Manually

At this period of time. Waste was manually collected from homes by carts, and due to the
limits of human power, including the narrow range of action, it became more and more
difficult to cope with the rapid increase in the amount of waste by using manual collection
methods. Moreover, transporting waste to incineration sites or landfills required reloading
from carts to automobiles and since the reloading process were done on the streets, it created
public health problems, including the scattering of waste. Although waste management was
already defined as the obligation of municipalities at the time, there was no well-developed
system of cooperation with national and prefectural governments, or residents resulting in
municipalities found themselves in a deadlock against the spread of urban waste problems,
which called for a reform in waste administration.
To solve the problem, different roles collaborated in waste management (national, local
governments, and residents) and to effectively solve problems of urban waste, the Japanese
government legalized the Public Cleansing Act in 1954. In this act, it was defined that the
obligation of national and prefectural governments is to provide financial and technological
facilities to support the conventional system of waste collection and disposal done by
municipalities as well as the obligation of residents to cooperate with municipalities in
collecting and disposing of waste. In the same hand, with a view to improving the living
environment and public health by promoting the planned development of urgently needed

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 living environment facilities, the Act on Emergency Measures concerning the Development
of Living Environment Facilities was legalized in 1963. The Japanese government formulated
a Five-Year for the Development of Living Environment Facilities in order to establish
policies for the development of waste management facilities, including incineration facilities,
also promoting the introduction of waste incineration facilities in cities. The plan also prmoted
the automation of waste collection through the collaboration of local governments and private
companies for more efficient and effective clean waste collection and transportation. In the
other hand, waste generated by industries was still processed within municipalities’ waste
management systems. There was no well-developed system (technology, finance, and
management) for the proper management of industrial waste.

Era of pollution problems and living environment protection

• Rapid economic growth period (1960s to 1970s)
1. Rapid increase in waste generation from income increases and an increase in industrial
waste generation
As a result of rapid economic growth, as well
as the widespread use of home appliances in
supermarkets and convenience stores in
Japan, also the changing of consumption
behavior during the 1960s and 1970s due to
economy mass production and consumption,
causing a rapid increase in the amount and
diversity of urban waste. On the same hand,
various types of waste were generated by
business units as a result of active production,
such as sludge, synthetic resin waste, and
Figure 3. Waste generated from 1950-1980
waste oil that were discharged from
manufacturing processes. Some of waste was
discarded or disposed of without proper treatment. Moreover, due to large amount of
urban development resulting from the concentration of population and business in
cities, it resulting construction waste (soil dan debris) and companies that did not have
waste disposal sites illegaly discarded waste in vacant lots, on the streets or in
riverbeds. It become more and more complicated for the municipal waste management
system specified in the Public Cleansing Act to cope with industrial waste problems.
To make the standards for the management of all waste, including industrial waste, and
to develop basic systems for waste management, the Japanese government made a
major revisions to the Public Cleansing Act in 1970 and legalized the Waste
Management Act defined the responsibility of municipalities to manage municipal
waste as had been done previously, while at the same time newly defining the
responsibility of waste-generating business operators to manage industrial waste.

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 Figure 4. Act Changes

2. Emergence of pollution problems

High economic expansion is characterised by rapid industrialization and can causing
generated pollution by hazardous waste discharged from factories, such as mercury and
cadmium which can seriously damaging the health of residents in surrounding areas.
Also, the other materials such as products made of plastics widely used and were
discarded in large amounts. Plastics material that undegradable such products did not
return to the soil even when they were buried underground. When burned, they caused
temperatures high enough to damage the furnaces. Some plastics generated soot dust,
acidic gases, and other hazardous substances during incineration, becoming a cause of
air and water pollution. One of the practical example is Minamata disease which was
first confirmed in 1956. The disease was caused by methyl mercury discharged from a
chemical factory (Chisso Corporation Minamata Factory) in Kumamoto Prefecture’s
Minamata City.

Figure 5. Minamata Symptoms from the begin

Methyl mercury discharged into the sea was bioconcentrated in fish and shellfish
through food chain, damaging the health of those who ate contaminated seafood
products. Major symptoms of Minamata disease include sensory impairment of limbs,
ataxia, constriction of the visual field, hearing impairment, and speech disorders. Some
patients with severe symptoms became comatose and died. Also, methyl mercury
absorbed into a pregnant mother’s body was sometimes incorporated through the
umbilical cord into the fetus in her womb, resulting in the birth of a baby with
congenital symptoms of Minamata disease (fetal Minamata disease patient). Other than
that, there was Itai-itai disease that caused by cadmium discharged from the Kamioka
Mine in Gifu Prefecture (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.’s Kamioka Plant)
contaminated rice paddies in the lower basin of the Jinzu River, causing disease among
those who ate rice grown in the area. This disease initially damages kidneys and then

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cases osteomalacia (a disease that creates a defect in the system that hardens bones,
preventing normal bone development). Symtomps of the disease include pain in the
waist, shoulders, or knees. As the disease becomes more severe, the patient repeatedly
breaks bones, and the patient become incapable of moving around on his own due to
pain felt throughout his entire body.

To solve this problem, with a view to comprehensively and systematically promoting

pollution control measures, such as :
- Basic principles of pollution prevention and regulations on the discharge of
hazardous substances
The Japanese government enacted the Basic Act for Environmental Pollution
control in 1967. In addition to the responsibility of business operators to prevent
pollution by the proper treatment of soot, wastewater, waste, the Basic Act for
Environmental Pollution Control defined the responsibilities of different entities as
well; the responsibility of the national government to protect the health of the
people and the living environment, the responsibility of local governments to
prevent pollution in accordance with the natural and social conditions of local
communities, and the responsibility of residents to cooperate in implementing

Figure 6. Itea Symptoms from the begin

pollution control measures. For the purpose of protecting the health of the people
and the living environment, the Japanese government also established emission
control standards regarding air and water pollution in the enforcement regulations
for related laws. Regulation values for soot, acidic gases, were defined in the Air
Pollution Control Act (legalized in 1968), and regulation values for mercury,
cadmium in the Water Pollution Control Act (legalized in 1970). In an effort to
create a centralized system for environmental administration, the Japanese
government also established the Environment Agency in 1971 in order to
systematically promote and implement pollution-related laws.
- Promotion of proper waste management
The Japanese government strived to raise the general level of waste management
by supporting the construction of waste management facilities in areas across Japan
in order to coping with an increase in the amount of waste and promoting the proper
management of hazardous waste (industrial waste, which includes mercury and
cadmium). To be more specific, the government clearly defined architectural
standards for municipal waste management facilities (1971) and architectural
standards for final landfill sites or municipal and industrial waste (1977) in the
enforcement regulations for the Waste Management Act. The government promoted
the construction of well-performing waste management facilities that meet legal

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 standards in areas across Japan by using the national subsidy system for supporting
waste management facilities that meet the architectural standards, and cultivated
individuals with advanced knowledge and skills who were certified as engineering
managers for waste management facilities and pollution prevention in order to
ensure the efficient maintenance of facilities for proper waste management.
Moreover, to prevent pollution, increase incineration efficiency, and promote
effective waste treatement and disposal, the government established rules for
sorting waste in the process of waste collection (combustible easte, non-
combustible waste, and plastics and rubber scrap) in waste management plans
formulated by local governments based on the law, thereby promoting sorted waste
collection.

Figure 7. National subsidies for waste management facilities and changes in

the processing capability of incineration facilities

- Proper landfilling of hazardous waste

In 1973, in the enforcement regulations for the Waste Management Act, the
Japanese government established assessment stnadards regarding hazardous waste,
including heavy metals (mercury and cadmium) and organic pollutans (PCB). In
1977, to ensure the safe final disposal of waste in accordance with its nature, the
Japanese government established architectural and maintenance standards for final
landfill sites in the enforcement regulations for the Waste Management Act. The
government also defined three types of final landfill sites for industrial waste such
as closed landfills, controlled landfills, and open landfills. With regard to industrial
waste that has the potential to damage human health based on the test conducted
using the assessment standards for hazardous waste, the government strived to
provide solutions to pollution and environmental contamination issues from such
waste by promoting the proper landfilling in closed landfills designed to prevent
the inflow of rainwater and outflow of leachate so as to avoid the leagage of
hazardous substance to the outside. Controlled landfills are equipped with seepage
control structures and leachate collection/treatment systems. Controlled landfills
are designed for the landfilling of non-hazardous waste that may contaminate public
waters and produce negative effects on the living environment of human beings by
generating landfilling gases, foul odors, and harmful insects. Things like plastics,
glass, ceramics, and other waste materials that have a low risk of causing
environmental pollution are landfilled in open landfills that are not equipped with
seepage control strctures or leachate collection/treatment systems.

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 3. War against waste
Tokyo experienced environmental degradation in the vicinity of landfills during the
period of Japan's rapid economic growth period. This was owing to a significant
increase in garbage that happened as a result of the construction of waste incineration
facilities being stalled by citizens' objections in nearby areas, which led to large
amounts of waste being landfilled without sufficient treatment. The Koto Ward, which
received the majority of the waste produced in Tokyo's 23 districts, was experiencing
extremely dire conditions. In the Koto Ward, garbage trucks that filled the residential
roads of the ward with waste and the bad odours and fly and mosquito plagues caused
greatly compromised the living conditions of inhabitants who lived close to landfills.
In considering this, the Koto Ward adopted the resolution at a ward assembly meeting
to oppose accepting waste from other wards. Also, in opposition to an active movement
against the construction of a waste incineration facility in the Suginami Ward, the
residents of the Koto Ward interrupted the transportation of waste from the Suginami
Ward. These developments were widely reported in newspapers and TV news. The
Tokyo Metropolitan Governor announced a "War against Waste" in September 1971 as
a result of these circumstances, claiming that an imminent trash problem was
endangering the lives of Tokyo residents. The Governor declared that the Metropolitan
administration will put effective waste management measures in place, including
encouraging the development of landfills and waste processing facilities. Things
eventually started to move toward resolution as a result of the implementation of such
strategies. The War against Waste heightened the awareness that waste is a serious issue
for daily life. As a result, people recognized the importance of government
organizations and residents working together to promote waste management and
strategies were implemented to promote the development of waste management
facilities that are friendly to the surrounding environment.

Era of establishment of a sound material-cycle society

• Rapid economic growth period to the bubble economy period (1980s to early 1990s)
1. Expansion of waste problems in terms of both quality and quantity as a result of the
bubble economy
As a result of an increase number in consumption and the further expansion of
production activities due to the bubble economy (late 1980s to erly 1990s), the amount
of waste continue to increase. There was also an increase in the variety of waste, which
included large-sized home appliances and other waste objects that were difficult to
process, as well as an expansion of the use of containers and packaging materials
including plastic bottles also come to be widely used during this period.

Figure 8. Production of plastic bottles

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 Figure 9. Changes in total amount of waste

2. Serious shortage of landfills

Due to a rapid increase in the amount of waste, it became difficult to prevent
combustible waste from being landfilled without being incinerated. This resulted in an
increase in the amount of waste delivered to landfills, thereby reducing in an increase
capacity and time of existing landfills.

Figure 10. Residual capacity and time of landfills

Data on the residual time of

landfills during this period
shows that the residual time
of municipal waste landfills
Figure 11. Conflicts concerning waste management
was less than ten years in
most years. The residual
time of industrial waste
landfills remained at an even lower level of one to three years. These figures reveal the
serious capacity shortage of landfills at the time. One of the factors that made it difficult
to construct new landfills was the opposition movements organized by residents who
were concerned about the environmental pollution caused by landfills. Since the
movement against landfilling at the Hinode-machi Yatozawa Landfill in Tokyo was
widely reported in the media in 1992, movements against the construction of landfills
have attracted public attention in areas around Japan. The results of Ministry of
Welfare, Survey on Government Organizations for Industrial Waste Management a
survey conducted in 1995 to study conflicts concerning waste management facilities
showthat a total of 368 conflicts occurred in most of the prefectures in Japan; an

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 overwhelming majority (279) of the conflicts were conflicts concerning landfills,
which account for 73% of the total.
3. Emergence of large-scale illegal dumping and other problems

Figure 12. Built-in problems regarding industrial waste management

The Waste Management Act placed the responsibility for industrial waste management
on waste-generating business operators. However, some business owners lacked the
sense of obligation to pay the proper expenses necessitated by waste management. Such
business owners outsourced trash management to waste treatment companies who were
willing to manage the waste at low costs without first ensuring that they could handle
the material effectively. As a result, many unethical or unauthorised businesses took
part in illegal garbage dumping and other criminal activities for the purpose of making
excessive profits, negatively impacting the environment. It cost a lot of money to clean
up the poisoned soil and surroundings. Problems such as these also created a deep
distrust over industrial waste and waste management facilities among residents.

4. Emergence of problems regarding dioxins generated by waste incineration facilities

Dioxins are considered to have negative effects on the human body. They were reported
to have been detected from fly ash of waste incineration facilities in Japan. As a result
of such reports, public attention was directed to measures to control dioxin emissions
in waste incineration facilities around the end of 1983. There are several negative
effects of dioxins, such as effects of dioxins on mothers’ milk were reported at an
international conference held in Kyoto in 1994; and high-concentration soil
contamination in areas around waste incineration facilities was reported in and around
Saitama Prefecture’s Tokorozawa City. These kinds of incidents significantly increased
public concern about the dioxins problem. Anxiety about dioxins generated by waste

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 incineration facilities increased residents’concern over incineration facilities, providing
impetus to opposition movements against the construction of incineration facilities. The
lawsuit demanding that the incineration facility in Ibaraki Prefecture’s Shintone Town
be closed down and the lawsuit regarding high-concentration dioxin pollution at an
incineration facility in Osaka Prefecture’s Nose Town are examples of such
movements. Residents' worry over incineration plants increased due to worries about
the dioxins produced by these facilities, which fueled resistance movements against
their construction. Examples of such actions include the lawsuit calling for the closure
of the incineration facility in Shintone Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, and the case
addressing high-concentration dioxin pollution at an incineration facility in Nose Town,
Osaka Prefecture.
• 1990s to 2000s
1. Promotion of the establishment of a sound material-cycle society
By the 1980s, there had been huge improvements in the proper management of trash.
Some issues, meanwhile, like the ongoing rise in waste generation and resulting
limitation of landfills, remain unsolved. However in this period, the Japanese
government switched the focus of its programmes to lowering trash generation in order
to offer complete answers to such issues. In the 1991 revision of the Waste Management
Act, waste generation reduction was added as a purpose of the act, along with sorted
collection and recycling of waste. On the same hand, in the Act on the Promotion of
Effective Utilization of Resources (Effective Resource Utilization Promotion Act),
which was also legalized in 1991, the government also established basic rules for waste
management, such as environmental considerations in product designing and
manufacturing stages and the development of systems for independent waste collection
and recycling by business operators. The aim of these rules was to ensure the effective
use of resources, to reduce waste generation, and to protect the environment. The
government established a variety of recycling acts to further promote waste recycling.
The Japanese government cooperated with private business operators to advance
recycling initiatives by enhancing the development of recycling technologies.
Moreover, the Japanese government established the Basic Act of Estabishing a Sound
Material-Cycle Society (Basc Resycling Act) in 2000 in order to change from the
current economic system based on mass production, mass consumption, and mass
disposal, and to promote the establishment of a sound material-cycle society designed
to ensure the implementation of the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and proper waste
management. This law provides a clear vision for a sound material-cycle society, which
is designed to reduce natural resource consumption as well as environmental impact. It
also presents basic principles for the establishment of a sound material-cycle society,
including legally determining the order of priority for resource recycling and waste
management such as :
a) generation reduction;
b) reuse;
c) recycling;
d) thermal recovery;
e) proper disposal.

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 In the Fundamental Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society
(Fundamental Recycling Plan), which was stipulated to be formulated in the Basic
Recycling Act, the government explicitly set numerical targets for resource
productivity (entrance), the recycling rate (circulation), and the final waste disposal
amount (exit), to promote the full-scale development of a sound material-cycle society.

Figure 13. Sound material-cycle society

2. Promotion of understanding among consumers

- Government initiatives : Waste Redution Promotion National Conference and a
Comprehensive Waste Reduction Energy
The Japanese government held the First Waste Reduction Promotion National
Conference in September 1992 to compare notes regarding waste reduction. In
1993, the government specified the week starting on May 30 as the Waste
Reduction Promotion Week and took an active part in developing a variety of
awareness-raising programs through TV broadcasting and other events (the week
was renamed the Waste Reduction and Recycling Promotion Week in 1997). The
government also launched a comprehensive waste reduction strategy in 1993 to
promote local community-wide waste reduction and recycling by subsidizing
sorted waste collection and group collection by resident groups in municipalities,
and provided subsidies for facilities that repair end-of-life products and put recycled
products on display (recycling plazas, see below) to encourage the development of
such facilities. Other than that, the government also commended advanced
municipalities engaged in developing social systems for waste generation reduction
and recycling as “clean recycling towns”.
- Local government initiatives : Awareness-raising programs for waste reduction
Local governments also launched active programs to promote waste recycling in
collaboration with residents and private business operators. The programs that were
implemented in Tokyo Metropolis named “TOKYO SLIM” started in June 1989.

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 The "TOKYO SLIM" campaign started out with the distribution of campaign flyers
at major JR and other railway company stations. The final phase of the campaign
took place during an event called "TOKYO SLIM IN DOME" in March 1990 at the
Tokyo Dome Stadium. There were more than 50,000 attendees during the event.
With the support of the media, the campaign grew in scale and helped popularise
recycling among both individuals who took part in the event and other Tokyo
residents. In 1991, as a successor to the “TOKYO SLIM”campaign, the Tokyo
metropolitan government started the annual Tokyo Waste Meeting. In January
1991, the Tokyo Waste Council was organized to promote waste reduction and
recycling as well as to support collaboration and cooperation between residents,
business operators, and government organizations. the council formulated waste
reduction action plans and developed a variety of activities, including recycling
bazars and the personal shopping bag campaign with the slogan “Shopping with
your own bag” with the aim of helping 3R practices to take root in the lifestyle of
the residents of Tokyo.

Figure 14. Tokyo SLIM Campaign

- Local government initiatives : Recycling programs rooted in local communities

Figure 15. Recycling Plaza

A number of municipalities have set up recycling centres and recycling plazas based
in their own local communities as part of plans to boost residents' knowledge of
recycling. The recycling center and plaza show how to repair, exhibit, and offer
recyclable end-of-life products, including large waste, and also provide information
on the exchange of end-of-life products. The recycling center and plaza provided a
system for regular exchange of end-of-life products as well as a base for raising
residents’ recycling awareness, thereby helping to promote recycling activities
rooted in the local community.

17
3. Sorted collection of recyclable waste
- Initiatives for promoting sorted waste collection by cooperation of residents

Figure 16. Flyers regarding 3R

In order to boost citizens' awareness of sorted waste collection, local governments
created flyers and manuals that detailed how to sort and set out rubbish in simple
language with images. Moreover, local government also held briefings for resident
to explain not only how to sort waste, but also why sorted collection was necessary
and how recycling acts were implemented. Local also governments prepared
pamphlets for non-Japanese residents as well.
- Initiatives for promoting sorted waste collection by group collection
In order to recycle waste as resources, independent resident groups from local
communities, such as neighbourhood associations, district groups, and volunteer
groups, collect recyclable waste that is discharged from homes, such as empty
bottles, cans, used paper, and cardboard, at a specific location and time. They then
deliver the collected waste to resource recycling operators. Group collection
reduces waste collection costs not only for local governments, but also for waste
collectors by enabling them to efficiently collect specific amounts of waste. Group
collection provides advantages to residents as well, such as enabling them to sort
recyclable waste at home on specific days and creating new opportunities for
communication with other residents. To increase the amount of recyclable waste
collected and to reduce waste, many local governments have created incentive
systems, including providing subsidies to local community organizations that
practice group collection.

Figure 17. Waste collection by independent communities

18
4. Enhancement of regulations of industrial waste
The Waste Management Act has been revised several times starting in 1997 in response
to issues like the lack of final disposal facilities for industrial waste and illegal waste
dumping. These revisions attempted to encourage proper waste management,
reduction, and recycling as well as address inherent issues with industrial waste
management, such as the lack of a sense of obligation to pay management costs.

Figure 18. Major targets for industrial waste

Figure 19. Structural changing regarding industrial waste management

5. Dioxin emission control

- Survey research and technological development through industry-academia-
government collaboration
Since dioxin emissions were first reported in 1983, the Japanese government has
assessed the behavior of dioxins in the environment and their health impact as well
as conducted survey research on their biological effects. In addition, the
government has created a number of technologies, such as those for correct waste
incineration, for cleaning up polluted soil, for detoxifying and dissolving dioxins,
and for straightforward measuring and analysis.
- Exhaust gas emission control and the development of waste incineration facilities
Since 1997, based on the Guidelines for the Prevention of Dioxin Emissions from
Waste Management drafted by the Advisory Commission on the Reduction of
Dioxin Emissions from Waste Management, the Air Pollution Control Act, and the
revised Waste Management Act, the Japanese government has developed a variety

19
 of emission control measures, such as controlling dioxin emissions from incinerator
stacks and improving waste incineration facilities. Moreover, the government
drafted Basic Guidelines for the Promotion of Dioxin Control Measures in order to
promote measures to drastically reduce dioxin emissions through a unified effort of
all government organizations in 1999. In the same year, with a view to preventing
environmental pollution by dioxins, the Japanese government enacted the Act on
Special Measures against Dioxins. This act defines basic standards for measures
regarding dioxins and stipulates rules for measures regarding contaminated soil. As
a result of the development of emission control technologies and waste incineration
facilities as well as of the tightening of control regulations, dioxin emissions from
waste incineration facilities were reduced in 2011 by approximately 99% compared
to the level of 1997.

• Current strategies for waste management and 3R

1. 3R Promotion Month
The Japanese government has specified October as 3R (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycling)
Promotion Month to enhance the understanding and cooperation of consumers and
business operators regarding 3R initiatives. During the 3R Promotion Month a variety
of programs and events are organized by government agencies, local governments, and
other interested parties to promote the establishment of a sound material-cycle society.
2. 3R Promotion National Convention (since 2006)
The 3R Promotion National Convention is held annually by the Ministry of the
Environment in collaboration with the 3R Promotion Forum and local governments to
provide an opportunity for consumers, business operators, and government staff to
gather together to compare notes regarding the establishment of a sound material-cycle
society and for individual participants to review their lifestyles.
3. Minister of the Environment’s Awards for Contributions to the Establishment of a
Sound Material-Cycle Society (since 2006)
This was started in 2006 for the purpose of honoring individuals, companies,
organizations, and communities that have achieved outstanding results through their
pioneering or innovative initiatives for the establishment of a sound material-cycle
society and held every year at the 3R Promotion National Convention.
4. Environmentally Friendly Shopping Campaign (since 2000)
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry work together to conduct the
Environmentally Friendly Shopping Campaign in collaboration with prefectures,
municipalities, logistics business associations, and consumer organizations. Various
activities are undertaken in this campaign to demonstrate to consumers, distributors,
and retailers the need for environmentally friendly consumer behavior, such as using
personal bags for shopping, cooperating in simplifying packaging, and purchasing
environmentally friendly products and products sold by measure.
5. 3R Promotion Mesiter System
The Containers and Packaging Recycling Act defines the responsibility of the Minister
of the Environment to appoint 3R Promotion Meisters (container and packaging waste
disposal reduction promoters). The appointed Meisters provide the public with
information on the disposal of container and packaging waste, promote the importance
of initiatives to reduce such waste, and offer guidance and advice to consumers.

20
 6. The R mark and the 3R mark
To promote the use of recycled paper and raise public awareness in 1995, the Waste
Reduction Promotion National Council, predecessor of the 3R Promotion Forum,
created the R mark as a logo to show the percentage of recycled pulp contained in paper
at a glance. Using recycled paper raises the percentage of used paper contained in paper
materials, thereby promoting the effective use of valuable resources. The 3R mark was
designed by the 3R Promotion Council with the aim of making 3R activities better
known R mark by creating an easy-to-understand image of the three Rs and promoting
the active participation and cooperation of as many people as possible. The 3R mark
can be freely used by companies, NPOs and local government organizations in their 3R
programs as well as PR activities and campaigns. This is also to provide opportunities
for government organizations, consumers, businesses, and other interested parties to
closely collaborate and communicate with each other to develop extensive nationwide
3R mark recycling initiatives for the purpose of establishing a sound material-cycle
society.
7. Development of “Eco-towns”
In Japan, there are 26 eco-towns. These Eco-towns serve as centers for material
circulation in their respective regions. The government is implementing model projects
to help these Eco-towns perform their roles.

b. Implementation in Japan
• Types of waste
Before being reprocessed, waste is divided into type that have been grouped which aims to
facilitate waste management. According to Waste Management Law 1970, waste is
categorized as either Industrial Waste or General Waste. Industrial Waste is that generated
by business and industrial activites and either specifically defined within the Waste
Disposal Law or determined by Cabinet Order. Industrial Waste is currently divided into
19 groups. General Waste includes all wastes not defined as Industrial Waste and is
essentially residential waste and wastes that are similar to residential waste but generated
by businesses and institutions. In other words, waste included in the general waste category
is all waste other than industrial waste, namely household waste, and business waste
generated from the activities of institutions and commercial bodies. Furthermore, the
description of the classification in industrial waste and general waste will be explained in
the following description :

Figure 20. Industrial and general waste based on Waste Management Law

21
It can be concluded that, almost the same as in other countries, garbage in Japan is divided
into two categories, namely the industrial waste category and the general waste category :
- Industrial waste is waste generated from production activities, and there are 19
kinds of waste. Industrial waste also includes industrial waste which is further
divided into two types, namely special controlled industrial waste and other
industrial waste. Industrial waste processing in Japan is regulated in the Waste
Management Law in the provisions of Law No. 137/1970, chapter III articles 11-
15 which states that industrial waste management is handed over as the
responsibility of the party that produces it. Industrial waste that has a liquid form is
also known as industrial waste, while solid form is referred to as industrial waste
(Kawasaki, 2005). Special controlled industrial waste is industrial waste that is
handled specifically in its management. In the Waste Management Law in Law No.
137/1970 article 2 paragraph (5) states that special controlled industrial waste in
Japan is waste that contains chemicals such as explosives, poisons, or materials that
are dangerous or that can be transmitted to humans and the environment. This
hazardous industrial waste disposal is specially regulated in law and closely
monitored by the government. Meanwhile, other industrial waste as stated in article
2 paragraph (4) in the Waste Management Law (Law No. 137/1970) that other
industrial waste is divided into two, namely, 19 types of waste described in the
table, and the second is imported waste brought into Japan.

Policy Waste Classification Waste Example

Regulated in Law 1. Ashes and Embers
(Legislation)
2. Sludge Deposits
3. Oil Waste
4. Acid Waste
5. Alkaline waste
6. Plastic Waste
Coal ash, ash residues
from industrial
combustion processes,
and other combustion
residues.
Sludge residues from
industrial plants, sludge
from manufacturing
processes, excess
deposits from settling
processes, deposits from
pulp mills, etc.
Mine oil, plant oil,
animal oil, petroleum
jelly.
All types of acidic
liquids, including sulfuric
acid, and a wide variety
of organic acids.
All types of liquid alkalis,
such as liquid soda.
All types of synthetic
polymers are made from
a mixture of solid and

22
 liquid compounds,
including synthetic
poisons and synthetic
rubber.
Regulated in 7. Paper Waste Paper and cardboard
Government Ordinance waste from pulp mills,
paper industry, paper
usage, newspapers,
binding books, all books,
printing paper, and paper
coated with PCB
substances.
8. Wood Waste Woodchips, sawdust,
bark, all objects made of
wood resulting from
industrial manufacturing
processes, including
furniture, wood pulp, and
the like.
9. Fiber Waste All natural fibers
produced by the textile
industry and textile
products from the
manufacturing industry.
10. Animal and Plant Adhesive dregs, beer
residues cooking dregs, fermented
dregs, fish bones, and
other animal bones, and
the like.
11. Rubber Waste All natural rubber waste.
12. Metal Pieces Scraps from steel and
non-ferrous metals
13. Ceramic and Glass All waste made from
glass or ceramics.
14. Ore Dregs Ore dregs from blowing,
manual fireplaces,
electronic fireplaces,
mining, and others.
15. Building Materials Pieces destroyed from
concrete, brick, and
objects resulting from the
destruction of a building.
16. Manure Manure of animals such
as oxen, cows, pigs,
poultry, and others.

23
 17. Cattle Carcasses livestock carcasses of
animals such as oxen,
cows, pigs, poultry, and
others.
18. Special Wastes Certain objects are
collected by dust pickers
in smoking facilities and
residual oil deposits from
combustion facilities.
19. Residues produced from industrial waste classes
1-18
Table 2. Classification of Industrial Waste in Japan

- General waste is all waste other than industrial waste, household waste, and
business waste generated from the activities of institutions and commercial bodies,
and is broadly divided into three, namely special controlled general waste, general
waste and feces, and other general waste.
In the Waste Management Law in the provisions of Law No. 37/1970 article 2
paragraph (3), special controlled general waste is defined as waste such as
explosives, poisons, or materials that are dangerous or infectious to human health
and the environment found in public places such as firecrackers, homemade bombs,
mosquito repellent poison, and others. General types of waste such as household
waste, institutional waste, and commercial body waste, as well as feces and urine
produced by households, commercial bodies, and institutions, are also included in
the general waste category in Japan. While what is meant by other general waste in
Japan is urban solid waste or Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) which is a type of
general waste that includes household waste, commercial body waste, garbage in
public areas, building construction areas, and sometimes waste from plant site
treatment collected by municipalities in certain areas. These garbage are usually
generated from household activities, buying and selling in the market, teaching and
learning at school, and so on. all kinds of household waste products produced by
industry fall within the scope of MSW. MSW is dominated by household waste.
Household waste in Japan is also distinguished by its categories, such as :

24
 Waste Waste Classification Waste Example
Combustimble or moeru 1. Organic waste Food waste
gomi (燃えるごみ) 2. Paper waste and wood Toilet paper, wooden
shavings suits, cigars or cigarette
butts, corks, carbon
paper, toothpicks, dried
tree branches, milk
bottle cover paper, and
etc.
3. Cardboard waste Cardboard boxes of
food, drinks, etc.
4. Diaper waste Diapers made of paper
or synthetic fibers.
Incombustible or moenai Landfill waste Synthetic rubber,
gomi (燃えないごみ) nylon, fish packaging,
plastic containers,
products made of
rubber, lipstick, pottery,
shells, leather, rugs,
mats, carpets.
Recyclables or shigen 1. Paper Newspapers,
gomi (資源ごみ) magazines, flyers,
sepaty boxes, etc.
2. Textile Berbagai macam jenis
• Cotton material pakaian.
• Wool material
• Synthethic fibers
3. Bottle and glass Bottles for sauces,
drinks. Then also thick
glass, oil bottles.
4. Logam • Iron-containing
• Iron metals (frying
• Non-iron pans, flower
pots, kettles,
etc.), iron cans,
iron plates.
• Non-iron metals
such as
aluminum
(empty cans),
and steel cans.
5. Plastic waste Plastic-based (plastic
bags, PET bottles, etc).
6. Household electronics Refrigerator, washing
machine, TV, stove,
bicycle, etc.

25
 Oversized trash or sodai Oversized waste Wardrobe, bed, sofa,
gomi (粗大ごみ) etc.

Hazardous waste Hazardous waste Thermometers,

batteries and
incandescent lamps.
Difficult to classify waste Composite product Products made of a
mixture of plastic,
glass, woven metal
(lifeboats, jet skis,
umbrellas, etc) fire
extinguishers, pianos,
tires.
Table 3. Classification of General Waste in Japan

• Public garbage cans in Japan

Japan is one of the developed country that is really concerning on the waste management.
However, there are rarely garbage cans in Japan due to some reasons and of them is to
encourage the minimation of waste due to the cost collection is expensive. Waste collection
is managed by individual wards and townships, but for the most part, it is a free public
service, which is not the case in all countries. Given this, putting trash cans around the core
districts of large cities like Tokyo would lead to a jump in demands for labor (the country
is already in the midst of a long term labor shortage that is expected to worsen in the future)
and a whole new pocket of funding. People generally care about keeping clean public
spaces and not harming the environment, so it makes reasonable to ask them to take their
trash home and separate it there for the time being. While rare, there are still some trash
can in public places such as parks, train stations, and restrooms.

Figure 21. Trash cans in Shibaura Institute of Technology Campus

Figure 22. Trash cans in the Urawa Station

26
 Figure 23. Trash cans for bottle in the Urawa Station and Urawa Public Garabage Cans

• Waste Management in Sakura Environmental Center

A. Background of the establishment of Sakura Environmental Center
Social and economic development has made out our lives richer, but the economic activity
dependent on mass production, consumtion, and mas disposal has created number of
environmental problems, including depletion of global natural resources and a shortage
landfill capacity. Society mus urgently review its own economic activity, and realize the
recycling-based society for reduced. The Sakura Environmental Center cocnsists of the
heat recovery plants, the recycling center, and the administration building (environmental
awareness facility and waste hear experience). In addition to appropriately processing
waste generated by Saitama City, the facility is also involved in a range of initiatives
designes to assist in achievening a recycling-based society.

Figure 24. Three basic principles of the

establishment of Sakura Environmental Center

27
B. Project Outline
- Project type : DBO (Design, Build, Operate) Method
- Project terms :
Design and construction : June 2010 to March 2015
Operation and maintenance : April 2015 to March 2030
- Former landfill appropriately closed and fromer sewage treatment plant
decommissioned. Heat recovery plant, recycling center, and administration
building constructed
- Owner : Saitama city
C. Waste Heat Recovery Plant
1. Waste processing flow
In addition to process safely the combustimble waste generated by the city, this facility
also efficiently utilizes the heat energy created by gasification. Recovered slag, metal,
and other resources are also effectively utilized, reducing, the volume of landfill waste,
and contributing to the realization of a recycling-based society.

Figure 25. Waste processing flow

28
2. Suppresion of harmful emissions
- High temperature combustion
Combustible waste is thermally decomposed into flue gas and residue in the
gasification and melting furnaces. The flue gas is discharged to the combustion
chamber, where it is combusted to about 1000 Celcius to break down dioxine.
- Flue gas bag filter

Figure 26. Flue gas bag filter process

Activated carbon and slaked time are injected into the incoming flue gas to absorb
pollutants such as sulfur oxides (Sox) and hydrogen choride (HCl) . these are
collected by the bag filters, along with fly ash and other particulates.
- Catalytic reactor
The flue gas is passed through a catalyst to break down and remove nitrogen oxides
and dioxins.

Figure 27. Catalytic reactor proceess

3. High-efficiency electricity generation from waste

- Steam turbine generator

Figure 28. The process of heat energy turning to generates electricity

29
 The heat energy produced from waste gasification is recovered in the boiler,
generating high-pleasure steam. The steam is used to rotate the turbine, which in
turn rotates the generator and generates electricity. The generated electric power is
used onsite, with the excess sold to the electricity company. Total carbon dioxide
emissions are cut, because waste is combusted to generate the electricity.

4. Residual heat utilization

Figure 29. The Sakura Environmental Center uses the thermal energy
generated by the incineration of garbage to generate electricity

The Sakura Environmental Center uses the thermal energy generated by the
incineration of garbage to generate electricity.
The generated electricity is used in the facility, and the surplus electricity is sold to
power companies, etc. In addition, we also use heat energy in the public baths and
walking pools of the residual heat experience facility.

30
D. Recycling Center
Recyclable materials collected from the city are sorted by hand and machine and coverted
into recyclable resources. Non-combustible waste and bulky waste are shredded, and
recyclable resources recovered.

Figure 30. Combustible and non-combustible waste recycling process

Figure 31. PET bottles and plastic foods packaging waste recycling process

Figure 32. Cans and glass bottles waste recycling process

E. Approach taken to introduce 3Rs to the community

1. Regular Events
- 3R Market Acceptance
The Sakura Environmental Centre has set up a 3R market to house community-
provided used goods that are appropriate for use. One of the uses for these items
will be for recycling activities that the Sakura Environmental Centre also hosts.
- Shio Sasae Corps
The Sakura Environment Center Biotope "Cio" opened with the goal of "reviving
local nature", and now more than 400 kinds of living things are confirmed every

31
 year. In this event, they also recruit volunteers to be able to learn about the nature
and natural regeneration of the region while facing nature though work.
2. Group works
- Sakura Kintsugi Circle
"Kintsugi" is a method of repairing broken pottery and porcelain using "Urushi". "
People can make up with gold powder, silver, tin, on top of "Urushi" and apply
stylish makie. It is a "tact" to pursue a stylish and new beauty that turns a broken
minus into a plus.
- Cloth play party Sakura
In here, they use unused old cloth and Kimono to make countless works, such as
dolls, flowers, vegetables, birds, and animals.
- Sakura Cloth Zouri no Kai
In this activity, they make a cloth weeds using unnecessary cloths. The purpose of
this program is to reduce garbage, and also improve health by clothing.
- Group “Kiwa” (remake of kimono)
In this activity, they are renovating and remaking Japanese-style old cloth, kimono
to create various works. They are not only handle clothes to wear, but also
accessories such as hats, backpacks, pochettes.
- A meeting to spread cherry blossoms and quiet
Ikkan-bari, a traditional craft that has been going on since the Edo period, is made
by pasting Japanese paper on bamboo products, wooden products, and paper boxes,
and applying persimmon juice.

3. Factory facilities tour

They provice a tour for any kind of guest to the heat utilization and recycling facilities
in order to give a new perspective to the community on how to manage waste into
something that has value.
4. Other events
- Eco-friendly disaster prevention exhibition 2023
- Summer vacation eco market
- Summer school 2023 of Sakura Environmental Center
- Eco-katsu support course : how to take photos useful to spread activities that are
good for the environment
- Cherry Blossoms and Mottainai Course 1 Starting from the kitchen, cleaning up in
summer
- etc

32
• Waste Management in Indonesia
1. The state of waste in Indonesia in general
In general, developed countries produce more waste than developing countries.
However, the current global trend is that waste production in high-income countries
has stabilized and even decreased, while in countries with middle and low income
levels continues to rise along with economic growth and welfare. Indonesia with a large
population with a high growth rate results in an increasing volume of waste generation
per year. According to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia in 2018
produced 175,000 tons of waste per day or around 64 million tons per year (Central
Bureau of Statistics, 2018). The annual generation rate continues to increase rapidly in
2019 recorded at 67.8 million tons so that one year alone it increases by almost 4
million tons (KLHK, 2020). Then for the composition of waste also depends on the
economic conditions of a country. Countries with low per capita income (poor
countries) usually have the largest composition of organic waste (50-70%). High-
income countries have only 20-40% organic composition. For the paper fraction, rich
countries have a proportion of about 23%, middle economic countries 9-11%, while
poor countries 7%. While the composition of plastic in general is not related to the
economic condition of a country, which is around 8-12% (Modak et.al., 2015).

2. Waste Problem in Indonesia

The composition of waste in Indonesia also reflects its economic condition, namely
at the middle country level. According to data, the organic fraction is still above 50%
of the composition of waste in Indonesia.

WASTE COMPOSITION
Organic Plastic Paper Rubber Metal Cloth Glass Others

2%
4%2%
4%
5%
9%

60%
14%

Figure 33. Waste composition in Indonesia (Ministry of Environment and Forestry,

2019)

The increasing number of urbanization and agglomeration in urban areas in

Indonesia in many ways causes urban sanitation conditions to become increasingly
necessary. Waste management, particularly in large cities is one of the most challenging
urban issues for administrators. Population growth and ever-increasing activity in big
cities result in an increase in waste generation and all the consequences that follow. It
is estimated that the most transported waste is only about 60-70% of all waste produced

33
that can be transported to final disposal by institutions responsible for waste handling
and hygiene. The rest of the waste is handled by the community through their own
efforts.
In addition, people's consumption patterns that change from traditional to modern
society contribute to changes in waste composition. Of course, handling and
management will be more complex and complicated with the increasing number of
types and compositions of waste. Law No. 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management
changes the paradigm of handling at the end into a systematic handling pattern from
upstream to downstream. With the existence of Law No. 18 of 2008, every waste
producer cannot ignore their waste affairs on the grounds that they have paid cleaning
fees. Waste management cannot be solved only by the government by collecting,
transporting, and disposing of waste to landfill, but must be done systematically and
integrated in order to provide economic, health, and environmental benefits and can
change people's behavior to be more concerned with the environment.

Rules that contains Law

Compensation by regional authorities as Government Regulation 81/2012,
a result of negative impacts caused by Government Regulation 22/2012, and
waste handling activities at the final Minister of Home Affairs Regulation
waste processing site 33/2010
Procedures for providing waste sorting Government Regulation 81/2012
facilities, labeling or marking
procedures, and producers' obligations to
manage packaging and/or goods
produced that are not/can be difficult to
decompose
Waste handling that regulates the sorting,
Government Regulation 81/2012,
collection, transportation, processing, Minister of Environment Regulation
and final processing of waste 13/2012, Minister of Public Works and
Public Housing Regulation 3/2013,
Negative impacts and compensation Government Regulation 81/2012
(relocation, environmental restoration,
health and medical expenses, and/or
other forms)
Forms and procedures for the role of the Government Regulation 81/2012,
community in waste management by the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation
Regional Government and/or 33/2010
Government
Prohibition of entering waste into the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation
territory of the Republic of Indonesia, 31/2016
mixing waste with B3, and managing
waste that causes pollution and/or
environmental destruction.
Table 4. Legislation derived from Law 18/2008

34
 Law No. 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management changes the paradigm of
handling at the end into a systematic handling pattern from upstream to downstream.
With the existence of Law No. 18 of 2008, every waste producer cannot ignore their
waste affairs on the grounds that they have paid cleaning fees. Waste management
cannot be solved only by the government by collecting, transporting, and disposing of
waste to landfill, but must be done systematically and integrated in order to provide
economic, health, and environmental benefits and can change people's behavior to be
more concerned with the environment. Most people still think of garbage as being
useless rubbish rather than a resource that may be used. As a renewable resource that
can be used as a source of energy, food, or fertiliser, according to the new paradigm.
Waste handling and reduction efforts are the first steps in the new paradigm of waste
management. Restrictions, reuse, and recycling are all part of waste reduction. While
waste management entails collection, processing, final processing, transportation, and
sorting.
Transporting waste away from its source (coverage of waste services) presents a
different issue that is still challenging to solve. It will result in the production of
unlawful garbage, which will eventually pollute the environment, if not treated
appropriately. Numerous activities and the way of living in the community have a
significant impact on the quantity and quality of garbage. Several significant elements
that influence waste include :
- The number of population
The more the population, the more waste produced, so that waste management is
racing with the rate of population growth.
- Socioeconomic situation
The higher the socioeconomic level of the community, the more waste per capita is
disposed of every day. This also affects the quality of the waste is inorganic or
cannot be degraded naturally. Changes in the quality of this waste depend on the
available materials, applicable regulations and public awareness of waste problems.
This increase in welfare will also increase construction activities and renewal of
buildings, transportation will increase with the consequence of increasing volume
and classification of waste.
- Technological advances
Due to the usage of increasingly diverse raw materials and manufactured products,
as well as their ability to influence the quantity and kind of trash, technological
advancements will result in an increase in both the quantity and quality of waste.
- Education level
The higher the level of education in general will affect the lifestyle of the
community so that it affects the type of waste that arises.

Until now, waste is still an environmental problem that cannot be resolved.

Problems that often arise in handling waste include higher operational costs and less
land for waste disposal. Most waste management in Indonesia is still disposed of in
landfill. This condition cannot continue to be allowed because it will cause new
problems in the long run, namely producing pollutants that can pollute the environment.

35
Therefore, it is necessary to process waste from upstream to reduce the amount of waste
entering the landfill with the right stages and methods.
Our challenges in waste management in this country are enormous. In addition to
the problem of waste generation on land, our country is claimed to be the second largest
contributor of plastic waste in the ocean after China. Based on data, Indonesia is ranked
second in the world producing plastic waste into the sea which reached 187.2 million
tons after China which reached 262.9 million tons (Jack et al., 2015). Garbage that has
entered the waters both in rivers and in the ocean will make handling efforts more
difficult because of the difficulty of collection and very high water content. The waste
also has an impact on the destruction of water ecosystems.
Garbage that reaches the sea in very large quantities such as the data above shows
that waste management on land is not working well. Some of the prominent conditions
of waste management conditions in Indonesia are :
- Lack of public awareness
Community participation and awareness in terms of waste management are still
quite low. The general public still considers the responsibility of waste collection
limited to collecting waste and paying money to the task of transporting waste.
- Local Government capabilities are limited
The ability of local governments to transport and process waste using APBD data
is of course also limited. Although the community has been eager to sort, there are
still obstacles such as uncertain transportation scheduling for subsequent
processing. Cooperation with the private sector is one alternative that has been quite
widely explored. But like a new one, undisaggregated waste is a technology that
must be selected requires high investment and operational costs. This causes the
private sector to raise their hands if waste management is not supported by high
waste tippingfees.
- Severity of conditions at the Final Processing Site
Landfills in big cities have exceeded capacity and it is difficult to find new locations
because of technical and social. Citizen protests that cause landfills to close often
occur due to environmental pollution. Another problem that arises is social and
health insecurity, especially for non-formal workers who work in areas of garbage
piles that mingle with livestock that are deliberately cared for at low costs at landfill
sites. The chaos that occurred in this landfill has been seen in various large cities
and seems to be a problem that will never stop. Most of landfills in Indonesia are
that waste is only stacked without being processed.
- Socio-cultural
The socioculture in issue focuses more on people's consuming habits and
behaviours. People tend to buy small quantities of goods such as shampoo or soap
in the sachet period. In addition, the packaging of beverages such as coffee that
causes this packaging waste problem can hardly be handled.

The community has an important role in waste management at the household level,
because in essence waste is produced by the community itself. One of them that can be
done is to leave the old pattern of managing household waste, such as throwing garbage
into rivers and burning waste. Community should applying the 3R principle, namely
reduce, reuse, recycle.

36
 In 2005, Government Regulation 16/2005 was promulgated. This regulation
regulates the final disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in connection with the
protection of water resources for water supply. In 2006, the Ministry of Public Works
through Ministerial Regulation 21/PRT/2006 outlined national waste management
policies and strategies. This regulation sets a target for waste recycling in the next 10
years. The last formal regulation issued by the Government of Indonesia was the Waste
Management Law 18/2008.

3. Recommendation for Indonesia Waste Management

The first thing that needs to be done is to change the community's view of the waste
management paradigm from the old to the new by planning the implementation of 3R
on a household scale as follows :
- The only methods of waste management should no longer be waste collection,
transportation, and disposal.
- In order to minimise waste production, household waste management is intended
to reduce, reuse, and recycle garbage.
- It is important to differentiate between several types of locations, including typical
housing cluster areas, non-cluster housing areas, slums, and housing along
riverbanks.
- In order to reduce the amount of waste and sort it, the community must take an
active role.

INDONESIA WASTE MANAGEMENT

Landfill Illegal Dumping Recycle

7%

24%

69%

Figure 34. Indonesia Waste Management (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2018)

Currently, most waste in Indonesia is handled through landfill, illegal dumping, and
only a small part is recycled. This is, of course, irrelevant in the way it is referred to
globally. The main principle of waste and waste management is to refer to certain
hierarchies or standard rules. Of course, one of the keys to the success of waste
management is collective awareness and understanding in the community and
government administrators regarding the hierarchy of waste management.

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 Figure 35. The hierarchy of waste management from the top is best to the part of
the cup that must be minimized (Bahor and Van Brunt, 2013)

The hierarchy of waste management is depicted in the pyramid above. The

explanation from the pyramid that the ideal conditions are getting lower the amount of
waste treated by related methods is getting smaller. The pinnacle of waste management
is in efforts to reduce or prevent waste generation which should get the largest portion
of attention. Low waste societies are the most ideal and sustainable. But of course it is
difficult to achieve, so the second hierarchy is needed, namely recycling efforts, from
waste materials to new materials again with comparable quality. If it can create such a
turnover of goods, then that is called a circular economy, so that waste wasted into the
environment can be minimized.
The third and fourth hierarchies are quite identical, namely managing organic waste
into biogas and compost which of course can be returned to nature safely. Biogas can
be used for energy sources so as to avoid the waste of greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere. Organic waste management needs to be prioritized based on the principle
of natural degradation processes that are more environmentally friendly than thermal
systems.
The next hierarchy is to convert waste into energy with combustion technology.
This is done after the organic fraction is processed. Waste management with the Waste
to Energy (WTE) method occupies a fairly low hierarchy because the effects of
combustion gas emissions have the potential to harm humans and the environment.
This technology investment is very expensive and requires a large amount of
operational costs. So it needs to be emphasized that organic composting and
biogasification must first be prioritized. Then after WTE, the lower hierarchy is landfill.
The management of landfills occupies the lowest hierarchy or as much as possible
avoided because it has a high potential for pollution of both water, soil, and air in a very
long period of time even after the landfill is closed.
The next thing to note is the equitable distribution of regional regulations that are
pro waste management. For example, regulations related to the use of major pollutants
such as plastics. One example of a region in Indonesia that has done this is Bali
Province which implements a ban on the use of single-use plastic bags in shopping
places for free. In other provinces, there have been several regulations that have been

38
socialized but still cannot be realized properly. Here, the role of the central and regional
governments is needed together in order to reduce plastic waste in Indonesia.

Figure 36. Three waste management flows and various common processes running today

The picture above shows how the flow of waste management in general is currently
happening in Indonesia. This system needs to be improved, such as shifting waste
management from downstream to middle and upstream so that the landfill can really
be extended for its capacity period and improved condition.

- Upstream (garbage source)

Generally, a simple collection and sorting process occurs upstream, then the
process of reducing waste with 3R efforts is the rest of which is transportation to a
temporary collection point. Referring to the Regulation of the Minister of Public
Works and Public Housing No. 3 / PRT / M / 2013 the processes and infrastructure
located on the upstream side are sorting, settlement, collection, consolidation, and
temporary shelter.
There is a waste reduction process that is carried out well such as
independent composting, reselling waste fractions that are still sold individually or
through institutions such as waste banks. But of course, negative practices in
reducing waste still occur, such as burning garbage or throwing garbage into rivers.
At present, reducing waste at the source in a good way has not been able to
reduce the volume of waste significantly. The practice in Indonesia, the contribution
of waste banks, organic villages is no more than 5% in reducing waste disposed of
in landfills. But also in developed countries such as Japan, reducing waste from the
source is also not a priority because it will be difficult to expect people to be able

39
 to manage their own waste, especially in urban areas with dense settlements,
especially in vertical settlements.
But what we want to convey here is the reduction in the source section as
done by Japan is the participation and discipline of the community in sorting waste.
It can be said that sorting is the key to the next management.
The consequence of waste sorting by the community is the scheduling of
waste transportation according to the fraction of disaggregated waste. Many
factions that must be sorted out of course depend on the conditions of the people of
a region. This is as observed in Japan where the type of waste is divided into four
to six fractions so that there are at least three transports per week with different
fleets for several fractions of the waste.

- Middle
In this middle position, there is actually a very variety of infrastructure used,
ranging from very simple such as temporary collection points to sophisticated
facilities such as incinerators, waste power plants such as in Japan. In Japan,
garbage trucks carry garbage directly from settlements to modern incinerator
facilities where heat will be used to become electricity and leave ash that will be
discharged downstream or landfills. But in Indonesia itself, in this process still rely
on private parties and individuals to transport waste to the nearest waste depot and
then transported using local government fleets to the final disposal. The term
infrastructure and facilities on the middle side in accordance with the regulations is
a waste management place with the principle of 3R (TPS3R) and an intermediate
switching station (SPA). TPS3R is a place to carry out collection, sorting, reuse,
and recycling activities on an area scale. While SPA is an intermediate station to
collect garbage or move from small capacity to large capacity transportation when
a district has a considerable distance from the landfill. This SPA is also equipped
with waste management facilities such as sorting and composting. TPS3R is
sometimes also given other terms such as the waste system in one of the cities in
Indonesia, Balikpapan under the name Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
Intermediate process is the next key to successful waste management after
sorting upstream. What's more, if waste has been disaggregated from its source,
there will be quite a lot that can be done in mid-facility to reduce waste to landfill.
At the TPS3R facility, composting and also a fermentation system are carried out
to take the cement gas. The methane gas formed can be used to power an electric
generator.
There are also those who have a waste collection process (compacting) in
this central part. So the garbage is pressed with a hydraulic device so that the water
is separated and the volume shrinks and then just transported. This can reduce the
volume of waste but also needs to be considered because it produces dirty water
that must be treated. This kind of waste collection system is carried out by areas
that do not yet have a compactor type garbage truck.
Waste management in this intermediary section can also be a benchmark for
the progress of an area's management. Japan generally focuses on the process in the
middle so that only a small amount of waste needs to be landfilled. While

40
 developing countries still depend on handling their waste at the final processing
site.

- Downstream
The final waste management facility is the last estuary site for waste.
Referring to the Regulation of the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing,
there are two main types of infrastructure, namely rice waste management sites
(TPST) and final processing sites (TPA). In Japan, these facilities only house
remnants of previous management such as ash, incineration, and garbage that really
cannot be treated. Meanwhile, in developing countries landfills are still the main
solution to collect waste from the source as well as being a place of management.
Organic waste is sought to be solved in the middle with various technologies
such as composting, fermentation into biogas or incineration. If the organic waste
reaches the landfill, then what happens is as experienced by the majority of
Indonesia these days such as the emergence of methane gas that is difficult to
control as well as other gases that cause odor, produce leachate water that is difficult
to process, shorten the period of time the landfill and landfill capacity becomes full
quickly, cause disease, and invite animals and even livestock to find food from
garbage piles.
The complexity of the waste problem can be seen in the landfill. The
condition of landfills in developing countries, one of which in Indonesia is full of
piles of garbage that will only use an open dumping system. Many scavengers work
to collect valuable garbage, beds of semi-permanent houses for scavengers to live
in, leachate water that pools everywhere, and plus livestock that eat there. It needs
to be realized that the longer this condition cannot continue to occur so that the
community should start trying with all their power to reduce as little as possible the
waste sent to the landfill. The key is in the reduction of waste upstream and in the
middle.

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• Documentation

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