Transforming from a "Disposable Society" to a "Recycling Society"

Isn't everybody leading a life where both putting out the garbage and throwing items away is considered standard practice?
It is important that we transform ourselves from being a "disposable society" to becoming a "recycling society," a society in which, what can be reused is used repeatedly; and what can be reused as resources is utilized prior to being discarded as garbage. Please help expand the scope of the "3R" initiatives: 1. Reducing garbage and the use of resources (Reduce), 2. Repeatedly using items (Reuse), and 3. Recycling items as resources (Recycle). Of these three, the steps, such as reduce and reuse, taken prior to recycling are especially important. Furthermore, another important activity invaluable to the creation of a recycling society is the correct separation of garbage and resources in order to recycle. Please make every effort to participate in these activities.

Efforts to Reduce Garbage
• Bring your own shopping bag when grocery shopping
• Use refillable products

• Try not to buy items you do not need
• Decrease the weight of cans and PET bottles
• Less wrapping/packaging etc. when you buy or sell items …… etc.
Shinagawa City conducts educational/awareness programs about garbage reduction at environmental classes and during lectures at various venues upon request, and also offers subsidy programs for the purchase of kitchen garbage disposals.

Reusing Items
• Repair broken items and continue using them
• Buy or sell used items at recycling shops and flea markets
• Print on the back side of used photocopy paper
…… etc.
Shinagawa City provides venues for recycling used household items (where support the recycle shop Ribbon and publish the recycling information bulletin Kuru-kuru (in Japanese)), supports flea market groups and conducts city-sponsored flea markets.
Note: Please call for more information on Shinagawa City's recycling programs.
Inquiries: Recycling Promotion Subsection, Shinagawa City Waste Collection Office
Tel: 3490-7098