You’ve just moved to Japan and you’re super excited. Your bags are unpacked, you’ve made your first run to the nearby grocery store, and things are settling in — with one big exception. Your trash is piling up, and you’re not sure how households in Japan sort their garbage.
Or even worse, you tried to put your garbage out in the collection area only to see a big sticker on it saying that the garbage has been incorrectly labeled. A scarlet letter for everyone walking past to know that someone didn’t follow the rules.
While sometimes requiring more preparation than in other countries, if you follow your area’s rules, with the help of this guide, you should be able to get rid of your refuse without embarrassment.
The first thing to do is to figure out how to sort your trash. Many large trash bins sold in Japan have multiple compartments to help you sort your garbage into the right category. Purchasing one may be a good investment if your home does not already have one.
Table of Contents
- Different Types of Garbage in Japan
- Other Rules on How to Sort Garbage in Japan
- Tokyo 23 Wards Garbage Schedule
- Glossary
Different Types of Garbage in Japan
Different areas of Japan sometimes combine categories, but in general, here are the common ones used to sort garbage and some examples of each.
Cans (缶; kan)
This category covers aluminum cans — but make sure they’re rinsed out. This includes things like soda cans, beer cans, and tuna cans.
Bottles (びん; bin)
These are glass bottles, again, rinsed out. If possible, try to peel off the label, though they’re often very glued on and can’t be removed cleanly. Tiny C.C. Lemon bottles, whiskey bottles, wine bottles, and jam jars all fall into this category.
Note: only the glass part should be disposed of in the bottles category. The caps need to be sorted based on what materials they’re made of (plastic, metal, cork, etc.).
Used Paper (古紙; koshi)
This covers used paper, but the paper needs to be relatively clean.
Paper from the butcher or any heavily stained paper should go with the burnable trash. This category is strictly for things like newspapers and cardboard boxes. Both need to be organized, flattened, and tied together with string. Some areas will accept boxes if they are taped together, but others require all the tape to be removed.
Other items in this category are marked as 紙 on the packaging. 
Remember to sort individual chocolate wrappers in with the other plastic garbage!
If you’re unsure, to be safe, rip off all the tape (that’s plastic, right?) and tie the flattened boxes together with several pieces of twine. Twine is usually white, sold in a ball, and can be bought at most 100 yen stores. Some areas provide special bags to stack newspapers in. Pay attention to your neighbors’ garbage to see which system they use if you’re unsure.
PET Bottles (ペットボトル; petto botoru)
PET refers to the type of plastic most plastic bottles are made of, polyethylene terephthalate. The majority of the plastic bottled drinks available at your nearest convenience store are this plastic, but if you’re unsure, look for the PET logo on the bottom of the bottle or on the label. Some bottles, like cooking oil bottles, may seem like PET bottles, but many are not. When disposing of bonafide PET bottles, make sure they’re rinsed well, the caps are separated (those are a non-PET plastic), and the labels are removed. Most bottles have a perforated tear line on the label to help with easy removal. Some bottles with special spouts at the top will have a tab that can be pulled to remove the non-PET plastic spout.
Plastic (プラスチック / プラ; purasuchikku / pura)
These are things like plastic trays from take away food, tofu packaging, snack wrappers, and the plastic bottle caps from bottles. Non-PET bottles also fall into this category.
Cup ramen bowls go into the plastic bin. 
Make sure to check for the プラ mark on bottles before throwing.
If unsure, most of these plastics will have a プラ mark on the label or the bottom of the item to signify inclusion in this category. Rinse the plastic so it’s reasonably clean of debris and remove any non-plastic parts, if any.
Burnable (sometimes called combustible)
(可燃ごみ; kanen gomi)
This is for any plastics that have neither the PET nor the プラ mark, food waste, rubber products, and paper that can not be included in the paper category. Many areas of Japan also include old clothing in this category, but if your clothing is still wearable, they request that you separate it into a different bag and contact your regional office for a clothing donation pickup. If you’re not able to donate the clothing, make sure what you put out on burnable day does not include metal buckles or zippers.
Non-burnable (sometimes, paradoxically, called incombustible)
(不燃ごみ; funen gomi)
This category covers are all those things that didn’t fit into the other categories. Ideally, this category should hold the smallest amount of trash you generate compared to any other. Things like metal caps, aluminum foil, batteries, and household appliances that are typically limited to 30 cm per side.
Oversized Garbage (粗大ごみ; sodai gomi)
This is garbage typically larger than 30 cm on one side. Suitcases, microwaves, mattresses… large items that can not be thrown out with other garbage. These often require an additional fee, in the form of purchasing trash stickers from your local supermarket or convenience store. These also, more often than not, require a reservation to be made and can take up a month or longer until the next available pickup day. For the majority of Tokyo, reservations can be made online, with a guide for what product(s) you’re throwing away, and how many of each type of ticket is required. Once reserved, make sure to write the registered name on the ticket(s), and stick them to the item(s). Then, on the day of pickup, make sure any items are in the designated spot by 8:00 a.m.
For more information on sodai gomi, check out our separate guide here.
Other Rules on How to Sort Garbage in Japan
In general, putting the garbage out the night before pickup is frowned upon, as it increases the chance of animals getting into the trash and making a mess. Try to follow local rules and put the garbage out early in the morning.
Some apartments in Japan may have a designated room where all the trash is separated based on what sort of garbage they are and staff are in charge of putting them out on a specific day. If your home falls into that category, typically, it’s ok to dispose of your trash at any time, since the building will initially collect it before putting it out. If unsure, check with your landlord or neighbors.
Finally, some areas require special bags to be purchased for certain types of garbage. If you notice a bunch of special-looking garbage bags near the checkout of your local supermarket, then there’s a very good chance you’re in an area that requires them. Another clue is to pay attention to the garbage in your neighborhood and take note if any specialized bags are being used.
It can be difficult to get the schedule of garbage collection to stick, but once it does, separating the trash will be second nature. It’s worth the effort, too, as it shows your respect for your neighbors.
Tokyo 23 Wards Garbage Schedule
Below is a list of the 23 wards in Tokyo and their garbage schedules. Please note that most of these are in Japanese. Garbage schedules for your local area can be found by searching your address on the sites below.
- Adachi (Japanese)
- Arakawa (Japanese with some English; split between two pages burnable vs nonburnable; recycling)
- Bunkyo (Japanese)
- Chiyoda (English; more details about garbage separation)
- Chuo (Japanese)
- Edogawa (Japanese)
- Itabashi (Japanese)
- Katsushika (Japanese)
- Kita (Japanese; calendar by location starts on page 3)
- Koto (Japanese)
- Meguro (Japanese)
- Minato (Japanese)
- Nakano (Japanese)
- Nerima (Japanese)
- Ota (Japanese)
- Setagaya (Japanese)
- Shibuya (Japanese)
- Shinagawa (Japanese; calendar by location starts on page 14)
- Shinjuku (Japanese)
- Suginami (Japanese)
- Sumida (Japanese)
- Taito (Japanese)
- Toshima (Japanese)
How to Find the Garbage Calendar for Your Address in Japan
The majority of the sites above can be used by entering your Japanese address (found on your residence card) to find your local calendar. For example, if your address is:
東京都杉並区西荻北２丁目３番４号
tōkyōto suginamiku nishiogikita 2chōme 3ban 4gō
You could break it apart like this:
- 東京都 (Tokyo City)
- 杉並区 (Suginami Ward) Click on the Suginami calendar shared above.
- 西荻北 (Nishiogikita Area) Search for this on the page you clicked on previously.
- ２丁目 (2-chōme) Some larger areas may have different garbage pickup days depending on what chōme you live in, so this number is important. Make sure that the link you search for includes your area (西荻北) and chōme (２丁目) to make sure you find the correct calendar.
- ３番４号 (block and plot number) Your address may include an apartment building and number as well, but these are typically not relevant when trying to find your area’s garbage disposal schedule.
Once you find your local area’s calendar, you can compare it to the Japanese terms explained in this article to determine which days are pickups for which garbage. In the sample address given, the garbage pickup days are:
- Mondays and Thursdays for burnable garbage
- Wednesdays for glass bottles, cans, and plastics
- Fridays for PET bottles and old paper
- The second and fourth Friday of the month are for non-burnable garbage
Be sure to get a copy of your area’s calendar from your local ward office or print one out from the links above and keep it in a place you pass often. There are few things more inconvenient than missing a garbage day and having to wait days for the next one. No one wants a messy, foul-smelling home, but now you’re hopefully well-equipped to dispose of your garbage. Enjoy your newly decluttered apartment and, ideally, keep it that way.
Glossary
| Monday | 月曜日 | getsuyōbi |
| Tuesday | 火曜日 | kayōbi |
| Wednesday | 水曜日 | suiyōbi |
| Thursday | 木曜日 | mokuyōbi |
| Friday | 金曜日 | kinyōbi |
| Saturday | 土曜日 | doyōbi |
| Sunday | 日曜日 | nichiyōbi |
| cans | 缶 | kan |
| bottles | びん | bin |
| used paper | 古紙 | koshi |
| paper | 紙 | kami |
| cardboard box | 段ボール | danbōru |
| PET bottles | ペットボトル | petto botoru |
| plastic | プラスチック・プラ | purasuchikku・pura |
| burnable (combustible) | 可燃ごみ・燃えるゴミ | kanen gomi・moeru gomi |
| non-burnable (incombustible) | 不燃ごみ・燃えないゴミ | funen gomi・moenai gomi |
| oversized garbage | 粗大ごみ | sodai gomi |
Need help with figuring out living in Tokyo? Our Tokyo 101 guides take the stress out of navigating life in Japan.
Featured image by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash
