Hideto Yoshida

Planning Division, Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Department, Ministry of Health and Welfare
(1-2-2, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 121 Japan)

Abstract

The law for the recycling of containers and packaging was established in June of this year. This law was taken into consideration since "the law of treatment of wastes" was revised in October, 1991 and passed through the discussion of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The law was adjusted by the government, and decided upon by a Cabinet Counsil formed after the Diet discussion on April 28th. This law determined that the role of consumers, municipalities, and manufacturing enterprises and specific enterprises are responsible for sorting and separated collection by municipalities under certain standard. There are three routes regarding the responsibility of enterprises. One is a personal collection, like the collection of returnable containers. Another one is trusting the approved corporation and the last one is that enterprises recommercialize containers which were collected by municipalities. In this law, both the responsibility of enterprises and the construction of the recycling system are systemized at the same time, and the role of municipalities and prefectures is considered to be very important.

Key words: containers and packing waste, recycling, separated collection, local government, enterprises liability