Waste Reduction: Thorough Explanation to Residents Needed to Introduce Collection Fees

Editorial

15:00 JST, June 3, 2026

Charging fees for garbage collection is one effective option for reducing waste, but it poses the challenge of increasing the financial burden on households. If such a measure were to be implemented, local governments must provide a thorough explanation to residents.

Tokyo’s 23 wards are considering introducing fees for household garbage collection, which is currently provided for free. The plan envisages a system in which residents purchase designated garbage bags at a rate of ¥1 per liter for both combustible and non-combustible waste.

This is because the Tokyo metropolitan government’s final disposal site, which mainly handles waste incineration ash from the 23 wards, is projected to reach full capacity in 50 years. Building a new disposal site is difficult, so the metropolitan government intends to reduce waste output by charging for collection.

Within Tokyo, local governments in the Tama area and elsewhere have already introduced collection fees, and Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike is also urging the 23 wards to do so. One option could be for wards that are ready to charge collection fees to do so before other areas.

Reducing waste is a nationwide challenge. It is estimated that final disposal sites used by local governments and other entities will reach their capacity in an average of about 25 years. Maintenance and operation costs for waste disposal facilities are also ballooning due to soaring labor and fuel costs.

The central government is also promoting the introduction of collection fees. Seventy percent of local governments have already introduced paid garbage bags or stickers. In Kyoto City, which implemented a fee system in 2006, household garbage reportedly decreased significantly.

The central government has set a target to reduce the total volume of household garbage and other waste — which stood at about 38.11 million tons in fiscal 2024 — to about 37 million tons in fiscal 2030. If Tokyo’s 23 wards, which are home to 9.9 million people, decide to implement a fee system, the reduction effects surely would be significant.

With prices continuing to rise, some residents may become dissatisfied with this new financial burden. Therefore, when implementing a fee system, it is essential to make efforts to help residents understand the necessity of reducing waste.

The Aizuwakamatsu city government in Fukushima Prefecture, which introduced a garbage collection fee in April, enhanced transparency by regularly releasing the minutes and other information about the advisory committee that deliberated on the plan.

Even after introducing a collection fee system in which residents shoulder the cost for bags, there is a risk of residents getting accustomed to the system, leading to a growing amount of waste again. There are also concerns that charging fees could lead to an increase in illegal dumping in such areas as on streets and in mountain forests by residents who avoid purchasing designated collection bags.

What should be done to deal with these challenges? It is important to consider these issues in advance.

There are many other steps that can be taken besides charging fees. One example is the collection and recycling of food trays used to package meat and fish sold at supermarkets. It is also necessary to further promote the reuse of secondhand items such as clothing.

It is crucial for businesses to take steps to reduce the generation of waste itself, such as eliminating excessive packaging for deliveries.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 3, 2026)