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How Kamikatsu became the first zero-waste town in Japan, and what we can learn from them

Meet the tiny town that's radicalizing the ways we recycle.

Photo credit: Canva

Anyone can transform their relationship with waste.

In Japan, one of the first things you notice is how intense they are about recycling. Bins are guarded by two to three uniformed protectors who are quick to tell you if you’re doing things wrong. For a novice—especially one from America—that seems to be almost everything. The plastic plate wasn’t washed clean enough, you’re headed to the wrong bin (there are many, all with varying purposes), etc.. It can feel quite exhausting until you realize that Japan is a global leader in plastic bottle and e-waste recycling, with an impressive 86% and 70%, respectively. Compare that to the global recycling numbers: according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, about 30% of plastic water bottles (PET) are recycled globally and only 22% of all e-waste is formally recycled globally.

However, nestled in the lush mountains of Shikoku Island—the smallest of Japan’s four islands—is a tiny town that’s revolutionizing the trash and recycling industry. Welcome to Kamikatsu. All 1,400 residents here are so committed to zero-waste, they sort their garbage into 45 different categories and don’t even use garbage trucks. And their efforts have paid off: Kamikatsu received a remarkable 81% recycling rate—the highest in the world, thus far.

Recyling, reusing, environment, Japan, environmentKamikatusu's recycling techniques are well worth the effort. Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center

For perspective, Japan’s national average (for overall solid waste recycling) is only 20%. Germany is considered as the global leader in recycling household and municipal waste, with a recycling rate of 67%. Following Germany are Austria (58%), South Korea (59%) Slovenia (58%), and Belgium (54%). The United States rests at 32%, although it aims for 50% by 2030. In short, Kamikatsu isn’t just lapping the world’s global leaders: it’s redefining what’s possible.

Which wasn’t always the case. In the 1970s, there was nothing exceptional about Kamikatsu, in terms of recycling. According to ReasonsToBeCheerful: “The roots of Kamikatsu’s reuse revolution go back decades. During Japan’s postwar economic boom, the expansion of mass industry created huge amounts of waste, which increased from 6.2 million tons in 1955 to 43.9 million tons in 1980. In response, municipalities across Japan, including Kamikatsu, began to build incinerators to dispose of it all. But over time, concern grew about the pollution being created.”

Recycling, Japan, zero-waste, trash, environmentThe inside of Kamikatsu's Zero Waste Center. KAMIKATSU ZERO WASTE CENTER

The town’s transformation took years, beginning in 1991, when officials first tackled food waste by providing composters to every household. By 1997, they’d created nine categories for recycling:

  1. Newspapers
  2. Magazines and flyers
  3. Cardboard
  4. Milk cartons
  5. Other paper
  6. Aluminum cans
  7. Steel cans
  8. Glass bottles
  9. PET bottles

This was the moment that changed everything for Kamikatsu, a significant cultural and logistical shift that laid the foundation for years to come. "It was tough because it changed their day-to-day duties," admits Akira Sakano, founder and director of Zero Waste Japan, "but people got used to it."


Recycling, Japan, zero-waste, trash, environmentHow to recycle boxes and other cardboard goods. KAMIKATSU ZERO WASTE CENTER

Today, Kamikatsu continues its goal to become fully zero-waste. The town closed down their incinerators, removed all garbage trucks, and now boasts a radical 45 categories for recycling.

But do you really need a 45-category system to cut back on waste? Of course not. Here are five practices anyone can adopt at home:

  1. Compost your food waste. According to Kamikatsu’s garbage guide (which was helpfully translated by Core77), “Compost food scraps [is] the only resource you can recycle yourself.” By using compost bins, electric composters, and bamboo composters, residents are able to transform food scraps into valuable fertilizer.
  2. Embrace second-hand. The town has a “Kuru-kuru” shop, which translates to “come and go,” and offers free second-hand items to anyone who wants them. Each product is weighed and tracked, to account for exactly how much waste is avoided. To do this locally, try joining your neighborhood’s Buy Nothing group, or donate to a Tiny Free Library.
  3. Get creative with upcycling. Local artisans in Kamikatsu transform old clothes, like kimonos, and koinobori (fish-shaped streamers) into bags, jackets, and toys. So, ask yourself: Do I really need to throw away that jar, or could it become a treasured container? Old t-shirts could become lovely, braided rugs. Egg cartons make wonderful painted art projects or storage bins.
  4. Reuse your own containers. Places like The Refill Shoppe, Common Good, and Clean Cult offer green alternatives to single-use cleaning solutions and soaps. Their wide variety of refillable products also use less packaging and contain non-toxic ingredients.
  5. Question consumption. The Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center is shaped in a giant question mark, urging people to ask why they must spend money on something. Their website reads: “Why do you buy it? Why do you throw it away?” It’s a reset, an invitation to rethink your relationship with constant consumption.

As we face mounting environmental challenges, Kamikatsu offers a powerful reminder: with community commitment and creative thinking, we can transform our relationship with waste. Are you ready to try?

Recycling, Japan, zero-waste, trash, environmentGive radical recycling a try. KAMIKATSU ZERO WASTE CENTER

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Half of Americans don't recycle their beauty products. Here's how you can change that.

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Garnier Beauty Responsibly

Growing up, actress and singer Mandy Moore recycled everything she knew how to, which wasn't that much.

She separated glass, plastic, and cans from the regular trash — which was actually pretty revolutionary in the 1980s, even though it's more commonplace today. Since recycling was only just becoming a regular practice, that was the extent of her know-how.

"I didn't grow up with the education that kids today have, in terms of their global footprint," Moore explains.

All photos via Garnier.

While that may be the case, her eco-friendly practices in the 1980s actually outshine the majority of Americans' recycling practices today.

According to the EPA's most recent report on national recycling rates, only 34.6% of garbage is recycled in this country. What's more, beauty and personal care products make up approximately one-third of the trash in landfills.

Considering how many beauty products come in recyclable bottles and packaging now, there's so much recycling that could be taking place but simply isn't.

So Moore stepped up as Garnier's spokesperson and got behind an endeavor to remind people they can do better by their beauty products.

The campaign is called Rinse, Recycle, Repeat, and it's a recycling program that essentially teaches people how to recycle beauty products.

According to Moore, when it comes to beauty products, a lot of people don't know what can and can't be recycled, so they either throw it all in the trash or try to recycle things that can't be collected along with recyclables like glass jars, cans, and paper.

So Garnier teamed up with TerraCycle and DoSomething.org to help take the guesswork out of bathroom recycling by encouraging people to collect their beauty product empties and send them to Garnier for free recycling.

All you have to do is start collecting empty bottles. Once you've accumulated 10 pounds, mail them to TerraCycle.

This attempt to shift consumer behavior has worked beautifully so far. Since 2011, Garnier has successfully kept over 10 million empties out of landfills.

In addition to shifting behavior, it's also about reminding the next generation that even little acts like this can go along way.

That's one of the main reasons Moore's standing behind the movement — so that simple lifestyle changes like this become points of pride for the children of the future.

"I hope that they see something as simple as recycling just a shampoo bottle or a face lotion bottle can really make a difference," Moore says.

After all, changing our — and our children's — recycling habits starts with one bottle and a little mindfulness.

Once you're on the path to a more eco-friendly lifestyle, it's easier to keep going. Just keep reminding yourself that your actions can (and will) change the world.

Thankfully, we live in a time when information is always at our fingertips, so we're even more capable of staying on top of eco-friendly trends.

"I think it's our responsibility to stay informed and to figure out new and sort of innovative ways that we can contribute because we are all connected," Moore says.

And since the younger generations are all about taking action in the face of uncertainty, research will no doubt quickly turn into noticeable change. It's important to keep encouraging that activism as much as we can.

But making changes isn't just on their shoulders. We need to be much more conscious of where our waste ends up. It's not just about our children's future. Climate change is in out midst, but our efforts today have the power to positively impact our future.

To learn more about the Rinse, Recycle, Repeat campaign, check out this video:

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Heroes

Your empty beauty products can do a lot more than sit in a landfill.

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Garnier Beauty Responsibly

You know that feeling when you step into a hot shower after a long, hard day?

Between the blast of steam, the sensation of suds on your scalp, and the incredible acoustics that nearly convince you to drop everything and audition for The Voice, it’s undoubtedly one of the best routines out there.

The thing about routines is — you don’t have to think that much about them. (I mean, when’s the last time you really CONSIDERED your toothbrush?) But what if we zoomed out for a second and gave some thought to the everyday items we reach for that keep us looking and feeling our best?

Like, did you know that something as basic as your shampoo bottle could achieve greatness? No joke.

All gifs via Upworthy/Garnier.

And no, we’re not just talking about its impact on your luscious locks.  

We’re talking about the bottles themselves.

After the last lather, your colorful bottle has the potential to get repurposed into something awesome. But many bottles never get the chance and, instead, end up in the landfill.

The fact is, nearly 50% of Americans don’t recycle their used beauty products. That’s a huge burden on our environment, and it has to stop.

Fortunately, some major beauty product companies are taking significant steps towards change. For example, Garnier is implementing some seriously impressive sustainability practices to help provide a comprehensive solution to beauty packaging waste.

So, instead of ending up in a landfill, shampoo bottles like yours can take on a whole other life.

It all starts at the factory.

You see, back when your bottle was just a glimmer in a manufacturer’s eye, some brands were thinking of the big picture and adopted sustainable practices at the ground level.

Garnier, for one, has reduced emissions at their plants and distribution centers, decreased the amount of packaging, and is using recycled materials in their products. Many of their hair care offerings incorporate PET plastic into their packaging, one of the more environmentally friendly plastics like the kind used in soda bottles.

Additionally, some of Garnier’s packaging also uses 50% post-consumer recycled material (PCR) — which means it’s already served one purpose and has now been remade into a different product.

All images via Upworthy/Garnier.

So, before it found its way into your shower stall, your shampoo bottle could’ve already lived another life. Just think — it may have been part of the tennis ball used to win Roger Federer his eighth straight men’s singles title at Wimbledon.

And its journey doesn’t have to end just yet — as long as you know where to send it.

A lot of people don’t know how to recycle their shampoo bottles. Many of these bottles are actually unable to be grouped with regular recycling, so more often than not, they just get thrown in the trash.

That’s where Garnier is stepping in. In an effort to educate consumers on better recycling practices, they’ve partnered with TerraCycle — a company focused on recycling commonly non-recyclable materials.

They’re calling it their Personal Care and Beauty Recycling Program, which they hope will provide an easy solution for consumers to make a real impact.

Here’s how it works:

When it’s time to throw out your personal care products, spare them from the landfill and send them to TerraCycle instead. It’s entirely free and totally possible to do from your own home. It’s a small effort, but trust us, these bottles can add up to make a big difference.

Once you've collected 10 pounds or more, mail them in, and Garnier will donate two cents for every personal care product to the charity of your choice. There’s never been a better reason to shower twice a day. (Unless maybe if you’re a long-distance runner in Death Valley… Then, you do you.)

However, if you’re not literally planting a tree and watching it grow or picking up trash on your street — both awesome things you should totally do, by the way — it can be hard to see the positive impact your actions have on the environment.

So, when you mail in a box full of your used bottles, it might leave you wondering what exactly they will be used for.

Rest easy: Those bottles could end up doing amazing things for a community in need.

After TerraCycle collects your bottles and many others like yours, they repurpose them into something entirely new and awesome, like park benches. That’s right, someone might be enjoying a lovely afternoon in the park sitting on your favorite hair sudser.  

And that’s just the beginning.

Thanks to Garnier, some of these bottles also go towards the creation of awesome eco-friendly projects, like this community garden in Harlem, which is made up of 1,500 pounds of recycled personal care waste. Just imagine, your bottle might be living out its destiny helping to grow fresh and sustainable nutrition for an entire community.

Some recycled bottles even get turned into recycling bins, inspiring others to follow your lead in saving the planet.

That’s a lot of impact for something that regularly goes overlooked. But your little bottle can’t do all that on its own.

The commitment to living sustainably, limiting landfill waste, and ultimately saving the planet is very much a group effort.

Change happens on all levels — from the factory floor to your shower. And while companies like Garnier and TerraCycle are making a major effort, it’s up to us as individuals to keep the green trend going and make sure beauty products stay out of landfills.

So far, the group effort seems to be working —more than 10 million bottles have already been diverted.

That’s a huge impact, but it’s only the beginning. More and more companies are prioritizing sustainability and more consumers are adopting these impactful recycling practices.

When it comes to the environment, we can only afford to move forward.

Turns out this amazing planet and a single shampoo bottle have something in common — they are both just too precious to waste.

Heroes

Every decision impacts the Earth, especially when it comes to personal products.

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Garnier Beauty Responsibly

Did you know that every time you buy something, you can make a big difference to the planet?

It's true. Just ask Brad Kahn.

He is the director of communications at the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a nonprofit that works tirelessly to promote responsible management of the world's forests, so he knows quite a bit about protecting the Earth. And part of it, he says, is making good choices in the store.

Any time you make a purchase, he says, "you're actually making a decision about the environment."

"I think people don't really realize how pervasive forest products are. Virtually every business on Earth uses forest products in one way or another," he continues.

[rebelmouse-image 19397922 dam="1" original_size="2500x1667" caption="Image via Anton Darius/Unsplash." expand=1]Image via Anton Darius/Unsplash.

The good news is, it isn't hard to make smart choices for the environment.

It just starts by choosing products from companies that are working to do good.

L'Oréal, for instance, has aglobal program dedicated to integrating sustainability into all areas of their business.

For example, all of L'Oréal's U.S. facilities incorporate 100% renewable electricity — and they will be carbon neutral by 2019.  

Solar panels in use for Garnier manufacturing. Image via L'Oréal USA.

And that's not all.

Danielle Azoulay, head of corporate social responsibility and sustainability for L'Oréal USA, says that the company's size is part of what makes their environmental efforts so important.

"At L'Oréal, we take a holistic approach to sustainability. From carbon emissions reductions to water stewardship in our factories, we're working to improve our environmental footprint across the company, every day," she writes.

"We've been focusing on light-weighting and integrating recycled materials into our packaging," she continues, "and [we] continue to encourage our consumers to recycle products once they're done using them."

"As the largest beauty company in the U.S. and the world, when we apply these changes across our brand portfolio, we have the opportunity to make an enormous positive impact on our communities, translating to big wins for the planet," she explains.

Image by Steven Rowe, used with permission.

It also helps that organizations like the FSC help shoppers easily identify these sustainably packaged products from brands — like Garnier — that are committed to reducing their harmful impact on the planet. All you have to do is glance at a product's packaging, and if you see an FSC logo — which usually shows up on the back — you'll know it's certified as forest-friendly.

When it comes to the beauty industry in particular, doing the right thing is important.

Industry organizations and media point to data briefings from market researcher Euromonitor that indicate the global cosmetics industry produces more than 120 billion units of packaging every year.

That's why, for their boxes of hair color and skin-care products, Garnier, a brand in L'Oréal's portfolio,uses all FSC-certified paper. It's one of many strategies — along with similar thought given to plastics, glass, and energy use — that the brand uses to reach their sustainability goals.

Image by Steven Rowe, used with permission.

That means, for example, that someone looking for a bright new look could buy shampoo that comes in recycled plastic and hair color in sustainably-sourced cardboard.

You're also keeping those bottles out of landfills. In 2014, Americans discarded about 33.6 million tons of plastic — a number that we can all impact by making smart choices, backing the brands that are committed to doing better. For example, all of Garnier's shampoo and conditioner bottles are made of recyclable PET plastic.

Photo via L'Oréal USA.

Looking out for packaging with sustainable materials is a simple shift that doesn't force you to compromise your beauty and personal care needs.

You still get to stick with the routine that's best for your hair and skin — and feel even better by making smarter choices for the planet, too.

To put it in perspective, Kahn says:

"There is no chance of life on Earth without healthy forest ecosystems. I don't think that's an exaggeration because forests provide much of the air we breathe, something like two-thirds of the water that we drink, the carbon storage to have a stable atmosphere. … We really rely on forests every day."

Image via iStock.

So when you've seen the FSC logo on your packaging, and you know your shampoo bottle is made from recycled plastics, feel free to sing your heart out with that shampoo bottle in the shower — as one of our planet's heroes, you've earned that joy.

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