Analysis of factors on the reduction of household waste based on nationwide data of municipal solid waste management

Abstract

Municipal solid waste generation in Japan had increased after the high economic growth and bubble period, and has decreased since around 2000. The Ministry of the Environment conducts a " nationwide survey on municipal solid waste management" for local governments every year and publishes the results. In this study, based on the data, the factors affecting the reduction of household waste identified on a local government basis were analyzed. Considering the change in the number of local governments due to “the great municipal mergers of the Heisei era” from 2003 to 2005, the data of the local governments existing in 2018 for 15 years after 2005 were targeted. As a result, there were a sharp decrease due to introduction of the charge for waste discharge and a constant long-term decrease in waste generation throughout the country. Local governments with less waste generation per capita were characterized by high chargeable prices, door-to-door collection, collection of miscellaneous recyclable paper, and regular collection of clothing.