Sanitation Day

What Is Sanitation Day?

Every September 24th is "Sanitation Day" (清掃の日, Seisō no Hi) in Japan. It marks September 24, 1971, when Japan's Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act (廃棄物の処理及び清掃に関する法律, commonly called the Waste Management Act) came into force. The day was run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare until 2000 and is now run by the Ministry of the Environment. The period from this day until October 1st, "Septic Tank Day," is designated as Environmental Sanitation Week, a time to raise awareness of proper waste disposal, local beautification, and recycling.

From the Public Cleansing Law to the Waste Management Act

The history of waste management in Japan began with infectious disease control and expanded to pollution control and, later, resource recycling.

• Filth Cleaning Law (1900): Enacted to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, it made garbage collection a responsibility of municipalities.
• Public Cleansing Law (1954): Replacing the 1900 law, it supported public hygiene in postwar cities.
• Waste Management Act (passed 1970, in force 1971): Rapid economic growth brought mass consumption and mass disposal, and incineration plants themselves came to be seen as sources of pollution. At the 1970 "Pollution Diet," the Public Cleansing Law was fully revised into the Waste Management Act, which took effect on this day in 1971.

What Happens During Environmental Sanitation Week

During the week, the Ministry of the Environment leads awareness campaigns across Japan on reducing and recycling waste, preventing litter, and keeping public facilities clean.

Facts About Cleaning and Waste

• A "week" of eight days: Environmental Sanitation Week runs from September 24 to October 1, so it actually lasts eight days.
• Purpose of the Waste Management Act: It aims to protect the living environment and improve public health by curbing waste generation and ensuring proper sorting, collection, transport, recycling, and disposal.
• Toward a recycling-based society: In 2000, Japan enacted the Basic Act for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society, spreading the "3Rs" of reduce, reuse, and recycle.
• The broken windows theory: This idea holds that leaving small signs of disorder unattended can lead to bigger problems. Keeping familiar places tidy is often described as a first step toward protecting a whole neighborhood.
• "5S" in the workplace: Seiri, Seiton, Seisō, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke (sort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain) is a workplace approach that spread from Japanese factories, and cleaning is one of its pillars.

Ideas for Sanitation Day

• Tidy your desk and delete unnecessary files from your computer or phone.
• Check your local municipality's garbage sorting rules again.
• Pick up one piece of litter on your commute or in a public place.
• Review your workplace "5S" and tidy up shared spaces.

A Clean Environment Is Something We Keep Together

September 24 is a day to remember that the garbage we put out every day is handled through laws and the work of many people. Why not start Environmental Sanitation Week by tidying up your own surroundings a little?