Japan – Kamikatsu Township Eyes Zero Waste – No Incineration or Landfill by 2020

The town council of Kamikatsu, located in Tokushima Prefecture in Japan’s southwestern island of Shikoku, adopted the “Kamikatsu Township Zero Waste Declaration” on September 19, 2003.



Japan for Sustainability (JfS)reports that the declaration states that the town has resolved to achieve zero waste by 2020 in order to bequeath clean air, palatable water, and fertile land to future generations through:

Educating people not to pollute the earth

Promoting waste reuse and recycling, and eliminating incineration and landfill by 2020

Building a worldwide network for a better environment

Meanwhile, the “Kamikatsu Township Zero Waste Action Declaration” states that the town will strive to eliminate the need for waste incinerators and landfills by 2020, in view of their understanding that landfills and incinerators, including gasification furnaces and RDF (refuse-derived fuel) power plants, can cause health hazards, resource depletion, environmental damage, and financial difficulties.



The concept of Zero Waste, noteds JfS, originated in Canberra, Australia, in 1996, and has been adopted by many municipalities in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and other countries.



In Japan, Kamikatsu has become the first municipality to adopt a Zero Waste Declaration