Recycling Legend – Kamikatsu the ‘Zero-Waste’ Japanese Town

The residents of Kamikatsu, a town of 1,700, sort their trash into 34 different categories.

Located in Tokushima prefecture, residents in Kamikatsu are making significant progress with the target of the first ‘zero-waste’ town by 2020.

It all started in 2003, when Kamikatsu declared its ambition in realizing ‘zero-waste’ and giving up the old way of waste management, which was directly dumping into an open fire. Their endeavors have one single ultimate goal – protection for both the environment and the well-being of their community.

Kamikatsu still produces 80% of the total number of leafs (for food/indoor decorations) in Japan every year despite the fact that half of the population there are elderly (above 65 years old). Residents there truly love the nature and perhaps that is one of the reasons why they are making ambitious efforts in environmental protection.

As reflected by one of the Kamikatsu residents, separating trash correctly for recycling has become natural and normal already, almost like a daily practice that blends in their lives perfectly.