Japan“s Container and Packaging Recycling Law went into full effect on 1 April. The law sets out the responsibilities of consumers, businesses, national and local governments, as regards the recyclin…
Japan“s Container and Packaging Recycling Law went into full effect on 1 April. The law sets out the responsibilities of consumers, businesses, national and local governments, as regards the recycling of PET and glass bottles. Steady preparations had been made for full enforcement since part of the Enforcement Ordinance for the law went into effect in December 1995. According to the law, the amount of recycling and cost burden of respective producers and user companies vary with the production or utilisation volume. For the calculation of obligatory volume, companies are required to record production and utilisation volume of designated containers in their books. Consumers are obliged to separate PET and glass bottles and classify glass bottles according to their colour. Local governments have the obligation to collect them separately, store them in a storage facility designated by the minister in charge in a form easy to transport and recycle until they are passed on to the companies responsible for re-commercialising them.