How about recycling aluminium cans the Japanese style?

Japan has many firsts to its credit. From art to technology to manufacturing, the archipelagic state has redefined many things in its own way setting benchmarks that other bigger countries follow now. In waste recycling too, the country has successfully developed a system that encompasses a larger cross-section of the society and touches upon the lives of commoners like very few countries in the world could do in years. In Japan, citizens are encouraged to sort their used aluminium foils, aluminium cans, PET bottles and other wastes into different categories at home without leaving it on the civic authorities to do it for them.

Legislation in Japan dating to the late 1990s makes it mandatory for every household in the country to separate its wastes into two broad categories: burnable and non-burnable. There is further categorization for aluminium cans and foils and other used products; one can refer to the explanatory issued by the municipality for that. Once sorted, households can then put out their wastes for collection by the local authorities after a stipulated period.

The legislation mandates every business collecting the recyclables including aluminium cans, foils and other products to pay a specified amount based on weight and volume.

A recent survey data shows Japan recycles over 90 per cent aluminium cans. In comparison, aluminium cans recycling rate in the U.S. is only 67 per cent. In other packaging recycling too Japan is ahead of the U.S.

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Now what does Japan do with the recycled aluminium produced by the domestic remelting companies?

Recycled aluminium in Japan is used in making industrial materials, gadgets, household items and a number of other innovative items. Toyota and other big carmakers are designing cars that are made almost completely of recyclable materials such as secondary aluminium die cast components.  

Even the Olympic Games 2020 is going to get a touch of the Japanese style metal recycling. Tokyo, the host country for 2020 Games, will be placing collection boxes all over the city from next month onward for the residents to donate their old mobile phones, computers and small household appliances. The idea is to collect enough aluminium and other recyclable metal to make all 5,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals with them.

The Tokyo Olympics Games organising committee says it hopes to collect as much as 8 tonnes of recyclable metal for the purpose that will uphold “a truly Olympic upcycling effort.”