How This Town Produces No Trash

Watch the next episode about Lauren Singer, who produced only a jar's worth of trash in 2 years: bit.ly/1QsnSqu
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In 2003, the local government in Kamikatsu, Japan decided to require that all residents comply with a new, rigorous recycling program - perhaps the most rigorous in the world.
Since then, the town composts, recycles, or reuses 80% of its garbage. It may not technically be 100% zero waste, as the remaining 20% goes into the landfill, but it's a remarkable achievement for an entire community, in such a short amount of time. The impacts have been positive - cutting costs for the community drastically, as well as improving the conditions of the lush and beautiful environment that surrounds the town in Southeast Japan.
Residents must wash and sort virtually anything that is non-compostable in their household before bringing it to the recycling sorting center. Shampoo bottles, caps, cans, razors, styrofoam meat trays, water bottles...the list goes on and on (literally) into 34 categories. At the sorting center, labels on each bin indicate the recycling process for that specific item - how it will be recycled, what it will become, and how much that process can cost (or even earn). It's an education process for the consumer.
All kitchen scraps must be composted at home, as the town has no garbage trucks or collectors.
And as for other items, reuse is heavily encouraged. According to Akira Sakano, Deputy Chief Officer at Zero Waste Academy in Kamikatsu, the town has a kuru-kuru shop where residents can bring in used items and take things home for free. There is also a kuru-kuru factory, where local women make bags and clothes out of discarded items.
At first, it was difficult to be come accustomed to the new rules. "It can be a pain, and at first we were opposed to the idea," says resident, Hatsue Katayama. "If you get used to it, it becomes normal."
Now, it's even being noticed within Kamikatsu's businesses. The first zero-waste brewery has opened in Kamikatsu, called Rise and Win Brewery. The brewery itself is constructed of reused materials and environmentally friendly finishes. By 2020, Kamikatsu hopes to be 100% zero waste, with no use of landfills, and to forge connections with other like-minded communities in the world, spreading the practice of zero-waste.
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Executive Producer: Laura Ling
Producer: Paige Keipper (Hansen)
Cinematographer: Irene Carolina Herrera
Editor: Lee Mould

[@xetholdus]

Man everyone in the town is so awesome..

[@qwertycrafter6506]

I agree, we need this Zero Trash in america, the person who made this program is a GENIUS

[@Slashplite]

+TheGaming Professor Its not going to happen. Its sad to say but American culture is very wasteful and focuses on demands. Not what you can give.

[@xetholdus]

+Slashplite Agreed, culture has a big part to play in this.

[@Smokex365]

+Slashplite When it's at this scale it's relatively easy. Trying to implement something like this in a city of 100k or millions gets exponentially harder and expensive. Most people, given a chance to recycle readily do it. It's not easy though. Even in Japan, rolling something like this out to a major city like Osaka or the Tokyo Metropolitan area (let alone the neighboring prefectures) would be near impossible even with full cooperation from the public. These things just don't scale out well with current technology and methodologies.

[@tytube3001]

+xetholdus especially Akira

[@AlltimeConspiracies]

If only we could all be more like this.

[@natsudragneel7342]

+Kash Chaturvedula what are you smoking??!??

[@n_7458]

We can

[@bucko8136]

Why? I thought you'd be in the 'global warming is a hoax created by the chinese' sorta camp. Y'know... cause "conspiracies"...?

[@darkewolfrayet]

We can, by not being lazy when we see random trash on the ground. For fuck's sake, I see people walking past trash everyday, because of the mentality of thinking that some one else will be there to pick it up.

[@rezaf2391]

Alltime Conspiracies, we can if we dont waste our time talking about some bullshit conspiracy theories

[@eon503]

I'd be the only black man in town but I still want to move there. they saw a problem and fixed rather than talking for generations on end.

[@alexf800]

eon503 Same here brother ! Only white guy but I’d love to live there !!! 👍

[@cottoncandy113]

I thought the same thing, except the only black woman lol. Let's make a black village of environmentally friendly people!!!

[@alexf800]

Hive Atlas you just proved a very good point. Black white chinese. We all like and prefer our own kind. Not a racist comment that you made as most would conclude. It’s in our nature and you just proved that whites are not the only ones who like our own kind. Apparently blacks do too !

[@arsewell]

@@alexf800 as do Japanese. The only reason this works is that they are a very homogeneous society and care very much about their heritage and culture. When you have "diversity" is when you have conflicts, unfortunately. So while is whites, blacks and hispanics might enjoy that lifestyle, we're not going to bring anything good to it, better to create our own with like minded people.

[@alexf800]

አምላክ ፍቅር ነው I completely agree with you.

[@untitled1464]

THE FREAKING UNITED STATES AND EVERY COUNTRY SHOULD SEE THIS!

[@gaminik2415]

Paulina Itzel China and india

[@jutta9061]

In Finland we have very good recycle system. Example we get some cents back if we recycle our blastick bottles ja aluminum bottles. 🤗

[@shyaus1987]

Jutta Romppainen Same here in the usa

[@musicbox2466]

itzel the un is busy supporting wars

[@thescoutpanda]

i think you'll find it's countries like china, india, pakistan and most african countries that just dump their shit everywhere. western countries have this thing called laws and regulations.

[@_baert]

I was already digging her jacket and then she mentioned how it was upcycled. Nice.

[@jubmelahtes]

the world should look to this town and learn

[@wolframazer]

Olav Wiik Moland the world need to look the Japan

[@jubmelahtes]

RJ Galvez all hail the great country of Japan

[@tyjohn2378]

Olav Wiik Moland especially in USA So much wasteful here

[@senjugudin]

Pity their efforts on zero waste. Well, per day just only one of Billionaire person in china destroys their life time effort by wasting more waste than the whole town efforts for the rest of their lives. for just 1 day. thanks to chinese people. happy chinese new year!

[@jubmelahtes]

senjugudin china are improving one step at a time i guess. America migth become a bigger problem soon though. Well happy Chinese new year to you too

[@jollyjokress3852]

in Germany the first 0 waste food shops have opened. thats a good way to not produce waste in the first place!

[@arsewell]

How will that be successful when you're importing so many immigrants who do care about that sort of thing. A good indication is what their native countries look like. They're not going to magically change when the see "how the Germans do it". They're saying 'Germany needs to be more like home' and you'll have little Turkey, little Somethingstan

[@Germanywithtripti101]

where in germany ?

[@Germanywithtripti101]

@@arsewell I am a student in Germany and every time sort and shred waste before desposal ! I probably do it better then the localite. I even sort Plastics and paper from packaging before disposal. I always deposit Pfand bottle and buy from Farmer market for veges in cloth bag. I am doing my PhD and pay taxes to support Germany. I brought Blocked Account money 9K € from my country which i spent here which somewhere helps German Economy. In future if I have kids, it will help in balancing current age demography of nation. So please do not defame immigrants. I am not arrogant or rude or anything but I just dont like this hate culture.

[@mrsaye499]

absolutely! don't even bring it in the house.

[@peaceandlove544]

Best way

[@MelliInChrist]

I applaud these people.

[@beatrizcastillo5764]

the world needs this ASAP

[@senjugudin]

Pity their efforts on zero waste. Well, per day just only one of Billionaire person in china destroys their life time effort by wasting more waste than the whole town efforts for the rest of their lives. for just 1 day. thanks to chinese people. happy chinese new year!

[@madison818]

senjugudin okay I'm sorry but I don't think that's the case while people who have Chinese ethnicity do produce waste, it is not much higher than the average person in America, Britain or any other developed country while China does have quite a lot of air pollution, this is mostly due to the many large factories there that manufacture different items and provide many jobs for the people living in China. there are apple factories, hat factories- basically anything you can think of. most of the things China produces is exported to other countries - and the main area they export items to is the US, followed by Hong Kong (oh look it's where I live!) and Japan. the global emissions by country lists China at the top - with the US second and Russia third however - if you look at emissions by capita (by person) China is 40th in the list with 7.6 metric tons by capita - compared to Qatar (a country who also exports large amounts of oil and natural resources to developed countries like America and Britain) who has 40.5 metric tons per capita there's a lot of research to look at - but anyways climate change, pollution and waste isn't all due to one person or ethnicity it's important to try and look at the ~ entire picture - since this is basically the only Earth we have, and it's important to be as educated as we can about these topics, since it can help us make good decisions about the Earth and environment. there's also a lot of information on the internet that may or may not be true - so feel free to double check my facts - since I had them as notes from school and I'm not actually that sure if they're all that exact yay for discussions

[@ruqqaya]

then do your part. Be the change you want to see in the world

[@gorlymichael666]

Only aluminium is worth recycling the rest is inefficient

[@test4O4]

'apple factories'

[@FusRoDah2]

I want to live there. Looks like heaven to me.

[@hoytarchery5302]

+tytube3001 I'm American and I'm not fat and 90% of the people I know are not fat. it all depends on what part of America you mean.

[@tytube3001]

Brandon Powell you are still wasteful

[@muntasermo]

+tytube3001 stop acting like your better than other people because of where you live.

[@TheBryce1416]

+tytube3001 Yeah dude you don't even know him just because he's American doesn't make him a fat wasteful douche. That's just like me saying all people in Japan are super nice you just can't prove that and there is evidence against that.

[@FusRoDah2]

tytube3001 Don't worry. I am a slim Canadian who cares about the planet.

[@studywithmik4210]

In Australia people always complain that we have 3 different kinds of bins for our rubbish (general, recycling and green waste). I love the idea of being more particular about recycling waste so it can be taken care of properly. Like she said in the video - it would be hard at first but, with time, it will get easier to do - a habit of sorts.

[@DeliaV298]

these people are so impressive and diligent they are always willing to go the extra mile. great job! you are a wonderful example to others.

[@csy897]

This would only be possible in big cities if governments mandated that everything produced be numbered according to the material they use. So that trash can be easily sorted and reused or if they are decomposable, buried. Packaging is made by machines anyways, so adding a number wouldn't add much to the costs.

[@patrickdunn7804]

let's make it Galen happen :)

[@nyekocreativity]

Thats an excellent and very simple idea that could really work! Awesome!

[@abyssstrider2547]

chae why bury decomposables? let them decompose in a contained area and collect methane, after that use those niutriens as a fertiliser, supply it to local farms

[@KurniaMiftah]

This is actually a simple yet a very good idea!!, seriously. And it won't add extra cost

[@abcd123906]

chae I COMPLETELY agree with you 100%! I actually thought of this one time when I was taking out the trash. All products should be numbered.

[@avariceseven9443]

And the comment section is complaining about the 20% trash this town makes while ignoring their 100% trash comments.

[@miae564]

avarice seven commenters don't like fake news that's all . But I personally love what they do And I'm also going towards zero waste but by that I mean not producing waste at the first place (shopping bulk and so on 👍 everyone can start small , easy Steps are totally doable and make a difference !)

[@mmpoggs2033]

thumbs up people and avarice this negative comment adds to the trash, not everyone complains you could focus on the good and leave the not so good to catch up!

[@alittlelightning1098]

Boom. That's a good dose of truth for the people.

[@SalvadorThe4th]

This is why I continue to speak out and inform people about recycling (even when nobody shows up to my recycling workshops). This small town is making a difference. It might be small but every little bit counts.

[@mrsaye499]

Salvador The 4th keep up the good work!!

[@maishan9073]

Just using your few minutes from daily life schedule to separate your trash and recycle them.. can change the air,water and soil to a whole different level..👌 You are not only saving the lives of future generations, also the lives of unique left over species..🐯🐦🐹🐰🐨🐝🐛🐞🐠🐟

[@alisingh2035]

Exactly, I don't mind at all to separate the metals, plastic and others because to just separate your trash is a such a small task that can keep our planet healthy enough for us to continue to live on it!!!

[@angelic8632002]

Inspirational

[@FusRoDah2]

+Pedro Afonso I think anyone with a penis would agree.

[@EverydayYounglife]

+Pedro Afonso But you never will, supposedly Japanese Countryside dislike(or aren't open to) foreigners.

[@thestressedseamstress5924]

Speak Evil It's not that we don't like having foreigners in the rural areas of Japan. Most foreigners would rather go to some place like Tokyo or something rather than the rural areas. Parts of my family comes from a somewhat abandoned area of Kyoto, Japan and so it's a nice change of pace to see a foreigner around. They are very welcome in the rural areas as long as they aren't rude or trash the place.

[@katiearcher4475]

That Little Lolita very much this, i was an exchange student in a farming town in Itoshima. everyone i met was kind and lovely. now, i live in Sasebo and due to the navy base its hit or miss on if the local Japanese like americans because you have some people who think its okay to leave trash every where. -.-

[@shibaninair]

This town is so inspiring

[@aletheabodine4819]

It's like a collective ritual - or active prayer - for one another and the earth. That is why Japan is so beautiful. The Japanese work at respecting one another and the earth.

[@gursongurson1397]

My family and grand parents they always took their home sewn cloth made bags for shopping I used to do the same and taking copper utensil to the dairy for milk Kitchen waste was going to compost pile And soda we always purchased which was in glass bottle and i am talking about 90's I still does same i avoid using car and prefer bicycle when possible I goes to local farmers instead of supermarkets where most things packed in plastic Its not hard to avoid plastic and always recycle carefully so our future generations can also enjoy planet earth

[@mrsaye499]

Gurson Gurson great job!!

[@brieannadouglas2888]

You writing an essay?

[@juliettejade3072]

It would be awesome if the whole world did this

[@559kingjh]

Yeah it can be tedious, but our children and grandchildren will come to learn this as an everyday part of life. Our society as a whole can only gain from adopting this into our day to day lives.

[@starlite556]

Oh shut up.

[@madisenhillebrant108]

I agree with +599KING, and like she said in the video, it just became normal. The first humans didn't have plastic and glass that needed recycling, and they lived off of the land, but this was normal to them. Our society today, has gotten used to throwing away everything we don't want and sending that trash to landfills. It is normal for us because we have done it for so long. That doesn't make it okay. Normal is not always an ethical, and responsible way to live. We need to make this our new normal.

[@cteckinz]

Big respect to them who tries to protect nature by their own hand. The real change can only come from bottom :)

[@AliKhan-xx1jq]

wait do u mean poop ya sure thats how we survied and firtalized

[@SaintBirdie]

well said. the people will determine the future... this is so inspiring .

[@franz-xs3ct]

I hope recycling will be taken seriously in every country all over the earth.

[@chinitocutie]

Kudos to this town! Wish more communities do this

[@GuyusSeralius]

I would like to see a major change in packaging techniques and methods, whereby packages are simplified into just a few materials that are mostly biodegradable and Earth friendly, so each citizen doesn't have to spend so much time and energy separating trash into so many different categories. Also, we should try to engineer packaging and mail containers to be reused as they already are. We should probably move further away from plastics, altogether.

[@lotto5742]

As a person who owns a packaging manufacturing company, my company would go bankrupt and I employ hundreds of people and pay more than $18 an hour.

[@brendaann727]

Ideally that would be awesome, it would take time & money to accomplish.... But I like it! In harmony with God's creation is far better. It may be hard for people to reinvent old less toxic ways, but it would be worth it. I was getting so tired of all the waste I had to haul to the transfer station! I have slowly over many years switched to a whole foods diet (not in plastic) for health reasons & it's cheaper. (you pay for the packaging too & more $$ for smaller portions) I buy milk in 1/2 gal. cartons instead of plastic. I just found out about a place w/ milk in glass jars. Use wax paper& glass containers for food like people used to do. Compost what can be, instead of throwing it in the garbage. I don't buy expensive cleaners but just use baking soda, vinegar, and lemon. Granted, I did alot of this for different reasons, but the effect has been alot less waste, & it helps everyone as well as me and my family.

[@brendaann727]

@@lotto5742 -Nobody wants you to layoff your people. Everyone needs to work. Maybe you could slowly switch over or do something new? In the future, you may find that less use of packaging may start to cause you to lose money anyway. This is the way the world is going, better think ahead and plan.

[@GuyusSeralius]

@@brendaann727 Me too! I have switched over to a whole foods diet (vegan, plant based) and use natural Earth friendly cleaners like the ones you mentioned. The more of us the better. Keep up the good work! :)

[@GuyusSeralius]

@@brendaann727 That's exactly what I was going to suggest and for the same reasons you gave. He needs to start thinking about shifting over to more Earth-friendly packaging. It's the way of the future and that's simply the way a free market system works. One has to try to satisfy the demand for change or one will go under. He can essentially keep his factory, his workers, and what he pays them. He just needs to change the product he currently produces, which will soon be out of favor by the majority whether he likes it or not.

[@yogawarriorgirl]

The world could take away a valuable unspoken lesson from this: CHANGE THE MATERIALS OF PACKAGING. Limit packaging to a single substance (a single type of plastic, cardboard without plastic or aluminum lining, one type of steel, no paper labels on anything) or to renewable substances, such as rice by-product cardboard, wax, resin, et cetera. A European beer company is even making six-pack holders out of cardboard made from the waste products of the beer making process. They're using up what is normally thrown out, and since they are made from barley instead of petroleum, they break down in water and don't choke sea life like a normal plastic six-pack might. Recycling is so much easier when there is less sorting and confusion involved. We need to use more trademark stamps, shapes, and ink designs, and fewer mixed-material packages.

[@Maren3108]

finally someone who understand that the problem lies in the producing and not in the recycling topic! :)

[@sarahschmidt38]

Please become a politician! You're totally right!

[@TrangDB9]

Hempfiber products. Very resistant and longlasting, yet organic. Once even jeans were made out of hempfiber.

[@stohess]

TrangDB9 I read some articles saying it’s hard to produce

[@RepublicOfZen]

One type of steel and plastic? There is reason for different types of plastic, because they protect from different kinds of erosion.

[@harmhoeks5996]

Wow!! Now I feel like an amateur with only 7 piece seperation! (plastic, green, paper, battery, glass, bags, glass)

[@test4O4]

you said glass twice you nerd

[@muzic12freakzz]

@@test4O4 different coloured glass are recycled separately in some countries

[@Gigi-us4jk]

@@test4O4 as Channel Thing said, in Germany you have 3 different categories for glass as an example.

[@monkiram]

Where do you take these things? In Toronto, we have recycling (which includes paper, glass and hard plastic), compost, and trash (which is everything else including plastic bags), and these 3 are collected from our homes. We have to take batteries to special places for safe disposal. But if I wanted to separate all the recycling and plastic bags out, I don't know if there would be any places that would take them

[@hopeful6617]

I am planning on having a conversation with our town's Mayor to raise my concern about single use plastics and waste management. This video gives me hope 🙏💕

[@draikmage]

It's always nice to see when people work together towards a great cause like this.

[@PureCore]

My faith in humanity was restored.

[@YourMajesty143]

This town yes, the rest of humanity has a long way to go

[@isabelmagnolia5070]

Asian peoples restore my faith everyday, particularly Japan. XD

[@longestvideoever]

Just dont go to prison in japan. Thats were all their human right atrocities are.

[@taawktvtravelfamilychannel1117]

This story is so amazing and inspirational. We are trying to do the same here in France for our little village. Its a slow process but videos like this are such an inspiration.

[@arsewell]

What sweet, thankful, appreciative people who care enough about each other and their world to cooperate in this way. I love how much care and concern they have for every detail. It seems like lovely place to live.

[@jubmelahtes]

in Norway we have this "pante" system where we sell bottles back to the stores for between 1kr to 2kr and those bottles are reused and recycled.

[@bingadila]

I remember that as a kid in Oslo. Would be running to ICA and put those bottles in in exchange for money, lol

[@jubmelahtes]

Binga Dila it was the like the greatest thing one could do to watch the machine eat the bottles and give us money

[@LingLingW]

Olav Wiik Moland that's the normal "Pfand" system in Germany, nationwide. I can't imagine not having and using it :)

[@jubmelahtes]

gretadunkler​ we started panting bottles in Norway in 1902 its good to hear you do so in Tyskland too.

[@Nefrites]

yeah I was just complaining about something similar - here in Czech Republic we do this for beer and practically only for beer which is such a shame the system is there we should use it more! When it works for beer (that's kind of big deal in Czech Republic) it can work for everything!

[@KalpeshPatel78]

Amazing. I wish I could be there. I tried starting it in my town... unfortunately no takers. Even the thrash I segregated, ended up in a single pile at the garbage dump.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

Marry me. j/k ...but you know what I mean... [sigh]

[@nesibebalta5750]

here we separate and pay for it while they recycle a tiny part of it and throw the rest on a pile...

[@lecorny007]

Japanese have the some of the oldest people in the world, we probably should learn a thing or two from the way they live to improve our own longevity.

[@nicholasc.5944]

God bless you people

[@SeekerNetwork]

What an inspiring community! We should all aspire to live like these folks.

[@kikikkollektive]

I agree.

[@Scorp969]

The presentation is always straight and to the point, and the videos always look great! Ah, Seeker, you're the best of the Discovery Network's affiliates.

[@LivvieLynn]

Small communities like these always seem so great. Yet, we always forget just how isolated and unwelcoming these communities can be at times...

[@annaflowers91]

They don't seem so in this vid. Even if they are, i suppose, they have every right to be) Because they are so different from the majority of ppl, imagine if an ordinary person comes there. They have a system built and it takes time to adapt newcomers to it, even the very willing ppl, and not everybody may have patience for that.

[@raghukpathi11]

I would like to visit this city once to understand how that is done. Not just technicality, but how the social behavior was changed.

[@lakeman4101]

Kolukuluri Raghu Hi bro,I am saddled with the same claims,socio cultural attitude is the greatest change considering such matters as this. But I greatly would believe a person set up to change himself on his own can be a good boost and drive for other individualized changes.

[@girlleo2807]

bring me too

[@kzteligo]

If you get used to it, it becomes normal

[@ilja406]

having 34 containers for trash in a household is abnormal.

[@fikriirshade1132]

+Илья Котельников have japan ever been normal(mainstream) ? tenctacle porn :v

[@WithmeVerissimusWhostoned]

+Илья Котельников it's normal within the context of the city. It's abnormal compared to contexts of other cities,.. but then again it could be argued what is the basis for carrying out such judgement... and who's the judge. These people took some responsibility, a very admirable act, indeed. I like it, they have balls to live as they wish. Unlike the rest of 'normal' folks, who normally succumb to fear.

[@hawaaunalfanfa5997]

Kz Teligo y

[@wahab96]

these type of people give me hope in humanity!

[@peachswarnalata4761]

Thank you sooo much for posting this it's simply phenomenal how they recycle in this city, I bow to all in this city

[@pipermcdade4214]

This town looks absolutely stunning, and it's unbelievable how much it takes care for the environment. Props to these people, I wish I could live there. Just looks so great!👌🌿

[@holleey]

impressive, but for this to become a thing globally, it needs to be automated. the effort and time requirements are just too big. then again, how things are discarded is not the only factor when it comes to reaching sustainability and zero-waste. how things are produced and consumed is at least equally as important. I'd even say that when goods are produced and consumed efficiently, there won't be much left to discard at all.

[@Jkp1321]

I would agree that recycling facilities or even machines if possible would have to do the more specific sorting

[@holleey]

***** that's extremely presumptuous, but yes, I like to do other things. something repetitive and mechanical like separating waste is not a task for humans. also, what do you mean by "Korea does this as well"? all countries have some sort of waste recycling program, but to varying degrees. I doubt the entire population of Korea manually separates its waste as thoroughly as the people shown in the video.

[@vivaciousv1114]

+Holly Lab It would be great to create a way to produce things that will leave no trash or less trash, but until that happens we have to be better at recycling now. It's really about teaching people to do this and helping them along the way. Like the lady in the video said, it was hard at first, but after all of these years it becomes normal. It's about making it the new normal. Plus, this type of program would also create jobs. And that is never a bad thing.

[@holleey]

vivaciousv1114 agreed, though people being willing to recycle is just one side, the other side is about if they are able to do so easily. ***** I don't think there has to be a connection between being selfish and not having the motivation to thoroughly separate waste - if that's what you are implying. though if it's made simple and easy for consumers to separate, I am sure many would do it. I know I would. currently however, I live in Dublin where there's hardly any waste separation on the consumer level. so even if I wanted to, I would probably have to drive larger distances which is not an option for me.

[@EverydayYounglife]

It needs incentive like temp lower tax for good towns.

[@NT_Chris]

That town is amazing.

[@BaileyZLeone]

We should adopt this here in the US. I think it would be awesome.

[@binozia-old-2031]

Bailey Z. Leone people would say that they are being forced by the government to make change on so thing that doesn’t exist

[@AlphineWolf]

You can do it too! Do it on an individual basis. refrain from plastic as much as possible. If it's wrapped in plastic say no.

[@monkiram]

@@AlphineWolf That's almost impossible. I would love to buy things that aren't wrapped in plastic waste, since I separate everything out into my own jars anyway, but it's so hard to find things like that unless you live in like LA or something, and often when I do, they're more expensive than just buying the plastic-wrapped stuff, sadly :/ I feel like over the coming years, companies will hopefully start to use less plastic packaging because that's what they see consumers wanting but until they do, it's really hard for the average person to buy zero-waste stuff without spending half our lives on the logistics of it

[@butterflymagicwithhottea9291]

This is lovely and should be taught in schools around the world. By teaching this as an expectation in every grade, young people will bring their awareness into their homes now and in the future. It's essentially a survival skill. Also, having options so that consumers don't need to buy the plastic packaging in the first place would be a real way to go.

[@jusjetz]

If they can do it, so can we!

[@ViralVibesReal]

Justin Gamino if we try yes!!

[@omijha4605]

Justin Gamino composition

[@risinghands5793]

Not trying to be mean but some people are just to lazy to sort all there waste. But it's a really good idea and i totally agree

[@Red9419]

one of the best animes

[@SuperAuthoritah]

lol

[@ziltoidtheomniscient2398]

+Red2PtdMaster I love Non Non Biyori

[@sumperjump8353]

+Red2PtdMaster ONE PUNCHH !

[@ajamessssss1000]

+Ziltoid TheOmniscient I love non non biyori too, one of the best anime of this year.

[@ImpaKtZero]

+Ziltoid TheOmniscient downloaded 2 months ago, haven't got past half an episode

[@becimouton9629]

This is really awesome to me, I love hearing about people who want to change to make the environment cleaner. Currently in Perth, WA we are having a no plastic July. Where people try to reduce their use of plastic and to bring fabric shopping bags as well as use glass water bottles. It really makes me happy to get a glimpse of how our thoughtful actions change our surroundings for the better.

[@gretabuechel2006]

This is an amazing concept and I am so happy it is finally catching on to other places and cultures I live in America and the amount of waste going to landfills and oceans is terrible and horrific that we are treating our earth this way

[@anewlife5846]

The town is blessed and so its population. it is hard to find such worthy people. I wish everyone could understand its importance. That man should globalize his organization.

[@purplecatinlove1900]

We need this in the US!

[@leaperrins8373]

+May Sal Do you not have any recycling in the US? How does your waste system work? In the UK we have two bins. One for landfill waste and one for recycling. The recycling gets sorted at centres. We are supposed to wash everything but many people don't.

[@purplecatinlove1900]

lea perrins​ we do recycle but it's not as broken down as it is in this video in the US it's the same as the UK two bin one for cans and the other for waste but i think we are wasting too much plastic especially grocery store i think we can cut our waste down to 50% if we follow the example on this video

[@gilbertosughrue6349]

This is an excellent effort by one small community. This is what's needed worldwide and to transition away from single use plastics.

[@clawdeenwolf344]

These people are just precious.

[@alexkg1]

This is so inspirational! Something we should all strive towards

[@MY-ce2qt]

The Japanese are the most disciplined people in the world. We certainly can learn from them in this aspect.

[@awesomecoolguy4989]

M Y So you're saying when the Japanese people killed millions and raped thousands of Korean women that was disciplined? You are disgusting

[@syamimsalleh3519]

Mi Jo Just the korean women?

[@Hirako_desu]

Mi Jo Are you actually trying to bring up arguments from over 70 years ago? Most of the people involved in that conflict are dead now, and now you're saying that after 70 years this generation that grew up in peace times and developed extremely close relations with the nations that were once their enemies are still power hungry killers?

[@ASMRconKiki]

It’s so ironic that I got a Mc Donald’s ad before this video. With a close look of the plastic straw and disposable packaging😓

[@baselinelegacy86]

This place looks so peaceful and magical

[@jazminesmith1299]

they should have stores that are bulk for food or farmers markets and sustainable grocery bags and jars to hold products this could be the next step

[@mightaymouse]

Japan is full of respect towards one another and for the places they live. Americans can learn a thing or two or three from them...

[@notartanymoreb5223]

mightaymouse The town.* Not the entirety of Japan. Some Americans.* Not all of them.

[@awesomecoolguy4989]

mightaymouse Dude Imperial Japan murdered 60 million people, some people they would torture by burning them alive or ripping them to pieces. Japan is not the best place in the world

[@islandko2402]

Japan is terrible with social problems. Plain terrible to the point some people won't leave their rooms.

[@sophiecarty5012]

mightaymouse why is America only getting hate and Japan has plenty of its own problems, every country could improve from another not just 1

[@sprokiemeisie981]

this is brilliant, inspirational! many cities do not recycle enough, even if the people want to do it, a lot of the stuff _still_ ends up on a landfill. like here we have to bring glass to the place ourselves, which is a hassle if you haven't got a car. I bring small bags each week, jars mostly, or wine sometimes, but can imagine if you drink a lot of beer from glass bottles,& not tins, then it could be often more tempting to just dump it in the rubbish bin.

[@blueraider_]

Wish my place is like this..hope local residents and people look up to this town

[@bently4758]

one of my goals, applying such technique in my town!

[@sarazorz]

Everyone is talking about how awesome this is but nobody is talking about how you'd fit 20 different recycling bins in your apartment, how you'd spend 2 hours a day washing and sorting your containers. The way to fix waste problems starts with manufacturers and developing alternative packaging.

[@maddiesiegmund5623]

I agree with the manufacturing point, but would not take 2 hours. I lived in a borough of Tokyo where you had to separate trash into 5 sections. All it takes is washing out the package the moment you open it and use the contents, taking apart the various parts of the packaging, and putting them in the correct bin. Once you know where everything goes w/o thinking it adds about a minute to the task you're doing, more if you're washing out a raw meat container. I know 20 is more than 5, obviously, but if you wash and separate as you use it doesn't build up and take time out of your day. The inconvenience in this town is bringing everything to the collection point yourself - the Tokyo one is taken away on different weekdays.

[@test4O4]

if I had to categorize into 20 bins, I would probably just use 1 type of packaging

[@expeditioneducationinstitu130]

and perhaps we would be more likely to put pressure on manufacturers (regulations or direct) to use less and better packaging if it impacted us, say b/c we had to sort and recycle everything. It's all a cycle and a system. We could also simply start putting the pressure on and also change our own purchasing habits, and start these kind of recycling efforts. All of it needs to be done for the tipping point to be reached and real change to happen.

[@SaintBirdie]

see Zero Waste lifestyle vids , its do-able.

[@thestudentofficial5483]

Well, these guys can do it. Why can't you? Why can't we?

[@brendacecil]

I desire every country could copy this, amazing I admire them so much, bless and all the love 💕💖

[@lilmisscookiecat2767]

I believe we need more opportunities such as this and to keep sharing it with everyone

[@aznbullet95]

Dang how is Japanese culture SOO different than the American culture. I would bet my soul that no US city can do what this city is doing right now, nor would they even care to.

[@NoooLif3]

How This Town Aim To Produce No Trash By 2020

[@UshioKiss]

well the program is zero trash... and they produce almost not trash but yeah...

[@Doan84]

+Sam Smith With no trash, they mean, no non-recyclable trash. Plastic, Glass, Metal all can be melted and reused, but only if separated properly. Most community don't do that, and just burn everything, which produces co2, or just dump it somewhere, where all the chemicals seep into the ground and poison the environment.

[@Kt-cn2rq]

Naod08 I seen recycle trucks they just throw everything together.

[@Huiuiuiuiuu]

Naod08 i cant imagine how to recyle every kind of plastic because its not possible

[@boredbunnie5420]

In that case they need to delete this comment

[@oon-huing1729]

I like how they are really clear that it wasn't an easy transition, but also mentioned how once it was part of the culture, it was natural. "It's too difficult/ takes too much time/ I can't be bothered" is probably the most common reason the rest of us don't implement even the basics.

[@cherista]

They are amazing. I do wish everyone else can be more like this.

[@Sc2mapper117]

"How this town produces No Trash" "20% of their trash goes to a landfill"

[@baljindersinghtheboss]

+Sc2mapper117 17%*

[@dasuberking]

you do realize their plan will lead to zero waste by 2020.. which is just 4 years away

[@Sc2mapper117]

DasuberKing Right, but the title "How this town produces no trash" is intentionally misleading.

[@spankingeverything9908]

+Sc2mapper117 and what have you done today to help the world?

[@Sc2mapper117]

I didn't say the town sucks because they can only recycle 80% of their trash. I said the title was misleading, which it clearly is. You don't need to defend the town because I pointed out a problem with the video.

[@AbleApe]

I think their kurukuru shop is commendable in itself!

[@anikamoudgil6981]

waoooo its just wonderful ..i wish my country could adopt this method..

[@devi3365]

Clear air, nice view, no polution. Such a great place to live

[@mariagalleriaxi8632]

YOOOOOO THIS SHOULD BE EVERYWHERE

[@heddaskarblokhin9447]

This is so cool! :D

[@saipriyap5615]

Really appreciable work.

[@sustainablejungle]

So cool! Now this is a model that should be shared EVERYWHERE!

[@Mohamed-yl3mz]

wow you rock japan i wish this happened in my country

[@Iradeza]

I wrap my Christmas presents in newspaper, Ikea furniture manuals/paper and other materials that I save during the year so I don't have to buy and use wrapping paper. It's a small thing but wrapping paper only exists to hide presents so why not hide them in recyclable materials that were produced for another purpose.

[@lashawnablanton4649]

Pretty awesome! I Started living this way recently. I now recycle or up cycle about 90% of things that I'd normally throw away. It really does improve our earth.

[@linasuperdina994]

What a pure video and what a pure town. :')

[@tan1mkazi]

why the fuck do people dislike this video?

[@gailjohnston9683]

Because people are morons! If they don't want to be bothered by recycling they become haters of anyone who is doing it.

[@anxietea3561]

Because some of them dont believe it which is insane

[@IntarwebUser]

Because the title is a lie. While an 80% reduction is impressive, I wanted to see how the town managed to reduce to *zero* waste, which they did not.

[@malkaadyan1339]

For me I am just a student so what I like to do is DIY the things as much as I can and just not for decor I like to use it for daily bases

[@monkiram]

I've started doing that as well. Lately I've started taking those plastic containers that food come in, using acetone to wipe off the graphics, and using them for my own things (as plant pots, storage, etc.). For the big plastic containers that pastries or salad greens come in, I use those to organize my pantry. I've been seeing a lot of beautifully-organized pantries on pinterest and considered buying a bunch of baskets for that purpose, but I didn't really have the money for it and then I realized those would be perfect. And not to mention jars, there's so much that jars can be used for. It looks so much neater to have all my dry goods in jars instead of the plastic bags they usually come in. Ideally, I wish I could just buy the goods without bags and put them directly into the jars, but it's hard to find places that do that.

[@vasaviarun7332]

Awesome ... An exemplary town to all of us ...to the whole world!!!! Please make this town known to the whole world!!!!

[@mmpoggs2033]

beautiful x thank you for these healing people x

[@TeamEp1cHD]

How This Town Is Trying To Produce No Trash *I feel betrayed by the current title* ;(((((((((( Good stuff tho

[@FullMetalPower7]

+Sirr Slayerr ay fuck you, little shit

[@TeamEp1cHD]

FullMetalPower7 =^)

[@patrickdunn7804]

+Mysterious Mango hi

[@hyunsoo_zx2747]

Technically it isn't trash as they find a use for it.

[@amyrosefox3279]

Samuel R I

[@pooppoo8379]

Everyone take notes, start recycling.

[@devanharripersad5730]

Loved this vid, such an inspiration .

[@pinkanon720]

It's a dream of mine to live in a countryside that's peaceful with good people, and Kamikatsu is now becoming my dream place! I hope I'll be able to live or visit there someday.

[@mokadkad]

that wouldn't work in most cities in the U.S... People are too damn lazy.

[@abyssstrider2547]

Ametama well, if they get paid they would surely do it

[@alexlee2581]

Why would we pay them

[@abdulmajeedahm644]

.The selflessness

[@BayviewFinch]

+Abdulmajeed AHM It's done for oneself if you think about it.

[@botanyimrankhan7982]

Nice . Thanks for sharing good stories.

[@AmazingRebel23]

In my region of Canada we recently got to start recycling plastic bags and chip bags, and I was extremely excited! Before that I was only buying Veggie Straws because on the packet there was a link to the recycling program. I had so many bags saved up from years and years ago that I finally got to recycle and it was the best feeling!! I am now getting into diy makeup because I refuse to buy makeup palettes made of plastic, I do videos on it sometimes but it's so hard sourcing the pigments locally so I end up buying secondhand makeup sometimes lol.

[@user-or2om1dj2k]

What about trash talking

[@SSBMA1994]

Lol

[@Unsarcastic]

Subbed

[@SakellarisNikolaos]

From a fun of recycling ♻ you do excellent work!

[@ringodaisy7]

The greenest town in Japan. Amazing and inspiring!