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Imagine a place where waste is not just managed but entirely eliminated—a place where recycling isn't just a practice but a way of life! This is the story of Kamikatsu town, an extraordinary hub of sustainability nestled in the mountains of Shikaou Island, Japan. Kamikatsu is a zero-waste town that has challenged traditional waste management practices and established a worldwide benchmark for environmental conservation.
All About Kamikatsu, & its Transformation to the Zero-Waste Town
Just an hour's drive from Tokushima city, Kamikatsu town boasts a population of approximately 1500 residents. The demographics are dominated by the older generation. It is blessed with lush green forests and possesses rich biodiversity. Apart from rice terraces, this place is also famous for its unique waste segregation process.
In Kamikatsu, waste segregation goes beyond mere routine—it's elevated to an art form. Residents meticulously separate their waste into 45 different categories before sending it off to the Kamikatsu Waste Centre for recycling.
That's right—you heard correctly! In this small town, waste management is taken to a whole new level, setting an inspiring example for sustainability initiatives worldwide.
But this was not always the case—a few decades before, Kamikatsu used to burn waste in open spaces. In fact, there were open incinerators installed in the town. These residents also chose to bury the waste in the ground. But, it caused many health and safety risks to the residents. The burned waste produced ash, black soot, and black smoke which not only deteriorates the air quality but causes many respiratory and cardiovascular ailments.
Stringent environmental regulations caused these practices to shut down. Now, transporting waste to other municipalities was an option but it was not an economically feasible one for the town. Thus, in 2003, Kamikatsu municipality adopted a zero-waste policy. The main goal of this policy was to achieve "zero-waste" by 2020. The motive behind such a declaration was to provide clean air, water and land for future generations.
The Lifestyle Shift
In 2005, the Kamikatsu Town government established the Zero-Waste Academy to fulfil the "zero-waste" dream. The Zero-Waste Academy, led by Akira Sakano has helped in reducing waste as much as possible. The residents follow the principles of '3Rs' - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. There is no trash collection service in the town. There are no dedicated truck services in the town. Still, the locals ensure that they take their garbage themselves to the zero waste centre.
Further, this waste gets segregated into 45 different categories. Can you imagine this? The paper products alone get sorted out in 9 different ways! The town has also introduced an incentive system, which is called as "Chiritsumo points scheme". This initiative has increased residents' interest in waste separation. Points earned by recycling magazines and other eligible items can be exchanged for vouchers, allowing residents to benefit from the revenue generated by recycling.
Also, Thanks to a subsidy, almost all Kamikatsu residents now have electric composters. The subsidy allowed them to buy a ¥ 50,000 composter at an 80% discount. These people compost their kitchen and food waste at their homes. Today, their collective efforts have resulted in more than 81% of their overall waste. This figure is much higher than in other metropolitan cities like London and New York, where the recycling rate is 42%and 17% respectively.
However, this was not achieved overnight. At first, many locals didn't like the system. They thought it wasn't their job to bring garbage to the waste management site and that the municipality wasn't doing their job right. But then, the municipal office began arranging community gatherings to facilitate discussions among locals. This ensured that there was a proper dialogue between both of them. The municipal office started the waste collection system only after the majority of the locals were convinced. Nowadays, these villagers segregate garbage into 5 to 10 categories before doing the final segregation at the centre.
As per the World Economic Forum, there are more older people than the young ones in Japan. Kamikatsu is no different. But Kamikatsu holds a small, close-knit community of elderly people. Thus, in a way, the waste separation and collection system plays a pivotal role in bonding, socialising and mental wellbeing.
Sustainable Facts Kamikatsu: the Zero-Waste Town!
Kamikatsu has an interesting Brewery company called Rise & Win Brewing Company which uses farm crops to create zero-waste craft beers.
There is a zero-waste cafe called Cafe Polestar, which uses locally sourced ingredients for the dishes. Their menu also changes as per the available ingredients.
The "kuru-kuru" shop is a thrift shop, where you can drop off any unwanted items and others can take them for free. The shop is itself made of all upcycled items— the floors are made up of glass chips from donated plates and the windows are donated from residents' homes. There is also a chandelier made from glass bottles.
Kamikatsu has introduced composting toilets in public facilities, which help to reduce water usage and promote eco-friendly waste management.
The Zero-Waste Academy has principles of 4Ls- local, low cost, low impact and low technology.
What Can We Learn from Kamikatsu?
From Kamikatsu, we can learn several valuable lessons about sustainability, community, and innovation:
1. Zero-Waste Practices: Kamikatsu demonstrates the effectiveness of implementing zero-waste practices at the community level. By meticulously sorting and recycling waste, this zero-waste town has significantly reduced its environmental footprint and serves as an inspiration for many waste management initiatives worldwide.
2. Community Engagement: The success of Kamikatsu's sustainability efforts is hugely credited to community engagement and collaboration. Residents actively participate in waste separation and recycling programs, nurturing a sense of collective responsibility and ownership over environmental initiatives.
3. Innovation and Adaptation: Kamikatsu showcases the importance of innovation and adaptation in addressing environmental challenges. From implementing composting toilets to promoting eco-friendly businesses like the Rise & Win Brewery, the town continuously seeks creative solutions to promote sustainability.
4. Education and Awareness: Education and awareness play a crucial role in Kamikatsu's sustainability journey. Through community gatherings, educational programs, and public outreach, residents are empowered with knowledge and resources to make informed decisions and take action towards a more sustainable future.
5. Global Inspiration: Kamikatsu serves as a source of inspiration for communities worldwide seeking to adopt sustainable practices. Its innovative approach to waste management and commitment to environmental stewardship demonstrate that small towns can have a significant impact on global sustainability efforts.
Overall, Kamikatsu teaches us that with dedication, collaboration, and creativity, it is possible to build thriving communities that prioritize both environmental stewardship and quality of life for residents
Excellent article. Much to learn for us as a society.