The Economic Times

In 2003, Kamikatsu made a zero-waste pledge for 2020. 17 years later, residents sorted trash into 45 categories and recycled over 80%, but producers needed to change too

Kamikatsu, a Japanese town, pursued a zero-waste goal starting in 2003. Residents meticulously sort waste into 45 categories at a central site. This system achieved an 81% recycling rate by 2016. However, some materials still required incineration outside the town. The town's waste management evolved over several decades from burning to extensive sorting.