Recycling Day (Risaikuru no Hi)

What Is Recycling Day?

October 20 is "Recycling Day" in Japan. It was established in 1990 (Heisei 2) by the Japan Recycling Network Conference together with the Regional Exchange Center (地域交流センター). The date is a play on words: "hitomawari" (one turn, 10) and "futamawari" (two turns, 20), evoking resources going round and round. It is a day to think about using things as resources instead of simply throwing them away.

From Recycling Day to "3R Promotion Month"

The idea behind this day went on to influence national policy.

• October is 3R Promotion Month: The former Ministry of International Trade and Industry and other ministries designated October as "Recycling Promotion Month." Today it is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) Promotion Month," run by eight ministries and agencies including the Ministry of the Environment and the Consumer Affairs Agency.
• The order of the 3Rs: The basic idea is to reduce waste first, reuse things second, and recycle them as materials last.

Reuse Trades in Edo

The towns of the Edo period had many trades devoted to repairing and collecting things: used-clothing dealers, wastepaper buyers, tinkers who mended pots, and ash buyers. Not everything was perfectly recycled, but the habit of using things again and again was well established.

• Even ash was sold: Ash from cooking stoves was used for fertilizer, dyeing and sake brewing, and collectors are said to have bought it.
• Recycled paper: Used paper was repulped into tissue paper known as "Asakusa-gami."

Recycling Trivia

• Upcycling: Turning materials into something of higher value through design and ideas, rather than just returning them to raw material, is called upcycling.
• Urban mines: Used smartphones and computers contain gold, silver and rare metals, and are called "urban mines." The medals for the Tokyo 2020 Games were made from metals recovered from collected small electronics.
• Where PET bottles go: Collected PET bottles become fibers, food trays and new bottles.
• Recycling marks: Identification marks on packaging are a handy guide for sorting - check them before throwing things out.

Ideas for Recycling Day

• Look inside the bins at home or work and check whether anything could be reduced or sorted better.
• Take unused small electronics or clothes to municipal collection points or reuse shops.
• When shopping, choose items that last or can be refilled.
• Review how your workplace uses scrap paper and paperless options.

Something to Remember on Recycling Day

October 20 is a day to picture the things around us going "one turn, two turns" around the cycle. Even without doing anything big, sorting one item carefully changes how resources flow. Start today by paying a little attention to where your waste goes.