Tokyo Garbage & Recycling Rules: Sorting, Collection Days, and the Mistakes That Anger Your Neighbors

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Why Tokyo’s Garbage System Is So Strict

Japan incinerates about 70% of household waste. Proper sorting makes incineration cleaner and recycling possible.

Tokyo has no space. Japan’s remaining landfill capacity could be full in about 20 years at current rates. That’s why the city takes garbage sorting seriously — not as a suggestion, but as a civic obligation.

About 70% of household waste is incinerated (the ash is then landfilled), and roughly 20% is recycled. Proper sorting determines which path your garbage takes. Wrong sorting means contamination, failed recycling, and higher processing costs — which ultimately means higher taxes.

Every ward (区) in Tokyo sets its own rules. Shinjuku’s rules differ from Shibuya’s. Setagaya differs from Minato. Your first task after moving in: get your ward’s garbage calendar.

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The Basic Categories

Burnable Garbage (燃えるゴミ / 可燃ごみ)

Collection: 2–3 times per week (most wards: Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday)

What goes in:

• Kitchen/food waste (生ゴミ) — drain water first
• Paper scraps, tissues, paper towels
• Clothing and fabric (small amounts)
• Leather goods
• Rubber, vinyl items
• Disposable diapers (empty solid waste first)
• Cooking oil (absorb with paper towels or use solidifying agent)
• Pizza boxes (greasy paper is burnable, NOT recyclable paper)
• Cigarette butts

Bag: Transparent or semi-transparent plastic bag. In some wards (like Shibuya and Setagaya), you must use designated paid bags (有料指定袋). In the 23 special wards using designated bags, prices range from about ¥80 for a large bag (40L) to ¥10 for a small (5L).

Non-Burnable Garbage (燃えないゴミ / 不燃ごみ)

Collection: 1–2 times per month (check your calendar — it’s easy to miss this one)

What goes in:

• Ceramics (broken dishes, flower pots)
• Glass (drinking glasses, mirrors — NOT glass bottles, those are recyclable)
• Metals (pots, pans, utensils, hangers)
• Small electronics (hairdryers, irons, electric shavers)
• Light bulbs (NOT fluorescent tubes — those are hazardous)
• Lighters (use up all fuel first)
• Umbrellas

Bag: Transparent or semi-transparent. Wrap broken glass/ceramics in paper and write 「キケン」 (kiken = danger) on the bag.

Recyclables (資源ゴミ / 資源ごみ)

Collection: Usually once per week. Some wards split recyclables across different days.

PET Bottles (ペットボトル):

• Rinse inside
• Remove cap → goes in “plastic packaging” (プラ)
• Remove label → goes in “plastic packaging” (プラ)
• Crush the bottle flat
• The bottle itself goes in the PET bottle collection

Cans (缶):

• Rinse inside
• Aluminum cans and steel cans usually go together
• Don’t crush (some wards ask you not to)

Glass Bottles (びん):

• Rinse inside
• Remove caps
• Separate by color if your ward requires it (clear, brown, other)

Newspapers / Magazines / Cardboard:

• Tie with string in neat bundles
• Cardboard: flatten and tie
• Keep dry — wet paper can’t be recycled

Plastic Packaging (プラスチック製容器包装 / プラ):

• Food containers (cleaned)
• Plastic wrap
• PET bottle caps and labels
• Styrofoam trays (cleaned)
• Look for the プラ mark on the packaging

Hazardous Waste (有害ごみ)

Collection: Varies by ward — often same day as non-burnable but in a separate bag.

• Fluorescent tubes
• Batteries (put tape over terminals)
• Mercury thermometers
• Spray cans (use up all contents, do not puncture — this rule changed)

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Finding Your Collection Schedule

Your garbage calendar is the most important document in your apartment. Put it on the fridge.

Where to Get Your Schedule

1. At move-in: Your landlord or management company should provide a garbage calendar (ゴミカレンダー). If they don’t, ask: 「ゴミのカレンダーをもらえますか？」 (Gomi no karendaa wo moraemasu ka?)
2. Ward website: Search “[your ward name] ゴミ カレンダー” — most wards offer downloadable PDFs in multiple languages including English
3. Ward app: Many wards have garbage sorting apps (search: “[ward name] ゴミ分別アプリ”). Shinjuku, Shibuya, Minato, and Setagaya all have them. They send push notifications on collection mornings.
4. Ward office: Visit in person and ask for an English garbage guide

Reading the Calendar

A typical garbage calendar uses color-coding:

• Red/orange = Burnable (燃えるゴミ)
• Blue = Non-burnable (燃えないゴミ)
• Green/yellow = Recyclables (資源ゴミ)
• Special marks = Hazardous, collection paused (holidays)

Golden Week, Obon, and Year-End: Collection schedules change during these holiday periods. Your calendar will show the modifications. Don’t assume your regular day applies.

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The PET Bottle Trap: The #1 Foreigner Mistake

This is the single most common sorting mistake. It seems simple but gets everyone:

❌ Wrong Way

Throw the entire PET bottle — cap, label, and all — into the recycling bin.

✅ Right Way

1. Rinse the bottle (a quick rinse is fine — it doesn’t need to be spotless)
2. Remove the cap → put it in the プラ (plastic packaging) bag
3. Peel off the label → put it in the プラ bag
4. Crush the bottle flat
5. Put the bottle only in the ペットボトル collection

Why: PET bottles, their caps (polypropylene), and labels (plastic film) are different types of plastic that get recycled separately. Mixing them contaminates the recycling stream.

Look for this symbol on the bottle: The ♻️ PET mark with a number 1 inside the recycling triangle. If it has this mark, it goes in PET bottle recycling. If it doesn’t (like a shampoo bottle), it goes in プラ.

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Oversized Waste (粗大ゴミ / Sodai Gomi)

Items larger than 30cm on any side require special disposal. You can’t just put them out on regular garbage day.

What Counts as Sodai Gomi

• Furniture (chairs, tables, bookshelves, desks)
• Mattresses, futons
• Bicycles
• Suitcases
• Microwaves, space heaters
• Carpets, rugs
• Golf clubs, ski equipment

How to Dispose

Step 1: Book a pickup. Call your ward’s Sodai Gomi Center or book online.

• Phone: Search “[your ward] 粗大ゴミ 受付” for the number
• Online: Most wards now offer online booking (search: “[ward name] 粗大ごみ インターネット受付”)
• Tell them what items you’re disposing — they’ll tell you the fee and collection date

Step 2: Buy disposal stickers (粗大ごみ処理券) at a convenience store (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) or at your ward office.

• Stickers cost ¥400–¥2,800 depending on item size
• The most common prices: small items ¥400, medium ¥800, large ¥1,200, very large ¥2,800
• Write your booking number or name on the sticker

Step 3: Attach the sticker to the item. Place it at your designated collection spot by 8:00 AM on the scheduled day.

Wait time: Usually 1–3 weeks. During moving season (March–April), it can be 4+ weeks. Book early.

Items NOT Accepted as Sodai Gomi

These require special recycling under the Home Appliance Recycling Law (家電リサイクル法):

• TVs (テレビ)
• Refrigerators/Freezers (冷蔵庫・冷凍庫)
• Washing machines/Dryers (洗濯機・衣類乾燥機)
• Air conditioners (エアコン)

How to dispose of these:

1. Contact the retailer where you bought the item — they’re legally required to take it back
2. If you can’t reach the retailer, contact your ward’s recycling center
3. You’ll pay a recycling fee (¥1,000–¥5,000) plus a collection fee
4. Take it to a designated collection point yourself to save the collection fee

Also NOT regular garbage: PCs and laptops (apply for free recycling through the manufacturer or PC3R.jp), car batteries, tires, fire extinguishers, propane tanks.

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Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1: Putting Garbage Out on the Wrong Day

What happens: The garbage truck doesn’t take it. Crows tear open the bag. The mess sits there all day. Your neighbors report it to the building manager. The building manager talks to your landlord. Your landlord talks to you.

Fix: Check the calendar. Set reminders on your phone. Download the ward’s garbage app.

Mistake 2: Putting Garbage Out the Night Before

What happens: Bags sitting overnight attract crows and cats. The mess is worse by morning.

Fix: Put garbage out on the morning of collection day, before 8:00 AM. Not the night before. Many wards explicitly prohibit evening dumping.

Mistake 3: Using Black or Opaque Bags

What happens: Most wards require transparent or semi-transparent bags so collectors can verify the contents. Opaque bags may be rejected.

Fix: Buy clear or translucent garbage bags at the convenience store or 100-yen shop. In wards with designated bag systems, use only the official bags (sold at convenience stores and supermarkets).

Mistake 4: Putting Recyclable Paper in Burnable

What happens: Paper that could be recycled gets incinerated. Wasted resources.

Fix: Newspapers, magazines, cardboard, and clean paper go in recyclables — tied with string. Only contaminated paper (food-stained, greasy, wet) goes in burnable.

Mistake 5: Not Draining Kitchen Waste

What happens: Wet kitchen waste makes bags heavy, leaky, and smelly. It also makes incineration less efficient.

Fix: Drain water from food waste before bagging it. Use a kitchen strainer net (三角コーナーネット, available at 100-yen shops).

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The Konbini Garbage Trick (and Why You Shouldn’t Abuse It)

Convenience stores have garbage bins — usually outside or near the entrance. Technically, these are for garbage generated from purchases at that store. In practice, people use them for small amounts of personal garbage.

What’s acceptable:

• Throwing away a PET bottle or can you just bought
• Disposing of a small amount of on-the-go trash

What’s NOT acceptable:

• Bringing household garbage bags to dump in the konbini bin
• Filling the bin with your apartment garbage

Some konbini have removed outdoor bins entirely because of this abuse. Others have moved bins inside where staff can monitor them. Don’t ruin it for everyone.

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24-Hour Garbage Rooms: The Apartment Upgrade

Some apartment buildings have 24-hour garbage disposal rooms (24時間ゴミ出し可能). This means:

• You can throw out garbage any time, not just collection mornings
• You still need to sort correctly
• The building’s management handles the actual curbside placement

This is a major quality-of-life upgrade. When apartment hunting, ask: 「24時間ゴミ出しできますか？」 (24-jikan gomi-dashi dekimasu ka? — “Can I put out garbage 24 hours?”)

Buildings with this feature are slightly more expensive (管理費/management fees cover the service), but it’s worth every yen if you work irregular hours or travel frequently.

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When Things Go Wrong

Problem	Cause	Solution
Garbage wasn't collected	Wrong day, wrong sorting, or wrong bag type	Check calendar. Re-sort the garbage correctly. Store until the next correct collection day.
Building manager left a note on your door	You violated sorting/schedule rules	Apologize. Check the rules. Ask for clarification: 「すみません、正しい出し方を教えてください」
Crows destroyed your garbage bags	Bags left overnight, or no crow net (カラスネット) at collection point	Put garbage out in the morning only. Use the crow net if your building has one (yellow net that covers the bags). Tie bags tightly.
Don't know which category an item belongs to	Sorting rules are complex	Use your ward's garbage sorting app or website. Search: "[ward name] ゴミ分別 [item name in Japanese]". When in doubt, put it in burnable.
Need to dispose of something immediately but it's not collection day	Timing mismatch	Store it until the next collection day. For oversized items, book sodai gomi pickup. Some wards have drop-off centers you can drive to.

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FAQ

Q: What happens if I sort garbage wrong?

A: The collectors will leave it behind, sometimes with a yellow sticker explaining the issue. Your building manager may also receive a complaint from the ward. Repeated violations can result in warnings from the ward office. In extreme cases, wards can refuse to collect from your building — affecting all residents.

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Q: Do I need to buy special garbage bags?

A: It depends on your ward. Some of Tokyo’s 23 wards require designated paid bags (有料指定袋) — especially for burnable garbage. Others accept any transparent/semi-transparent bag. Check your ward’s rules. Designated bags are sold at convenience stores and supermarkets.

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Q: How do I dispose of a futon or mattress?

A: Futons and mattresses are sodai gomi (oversized waste). Call your ward’s sodai gomi center, get a collection date, buy a disposal sticker (typically ¥400–¥1,200), and place it at the collection point on the scheduled morning. Some people cut futons into small pieces and put them in burnable bags — this is technically allowed in most wards but check first.

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Q: Can I throw away electronics in regular garbage?

A: Small electronics (hairdryers, electric shavers, alarm clocks) go in non-burnable garbage. But the “big 4” — TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners — require special recycling under the Home Appliance Recycling Law. PCs are recycled through the manufacturer or PC3R.jp.

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Q: I’m moving out. How do I get rid of everything?

A: Start early — sodai gomi pickup takes 1–4 weeks to schedule. For large-scale disposal, consider a private disposal service (不用品回収業者). They’ll take everything in one trip for ¥10,000–¥50,000+ depending on volume. Get quotes from multiple companies. Beware of suspiciously cheap services — some illegally dump waste.

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Related Guides

• Setting Up Utilities — electricity, gas, water for your new apartment
• How to Register at City Hall — your ward determines your garbage rules
• How to Pay Bills in Japan — including utility and garbage-related payments
• Rental Apartments in Tokyo — what to look for including garbage facilities
• Payment Methods in Japan — paying for sodai gomi stickers at convenience stores

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Summary

1. Get your ward’s garbage calendar immediately — it’s the most important document after moving in. Download the app if your ward has one.
2. Master PET bottles — rinse, remove cap, remove label, crush, sort separately. This is the mistake everyone makes.
3. Never put garbage out on the wrong day — it’s the fastest way to anger your neighbors and your landlord.

Next step: Search “[your ward name] ゴミ カレンダー” right now. Bookmark it. Set phone reminders for your collection days. If you’re unsure about any item, download your ward’s garbage sorting app — it covers virtually everything.

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References and Official Sources

1. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Environment (東京都環境局)
   “Waste Management and Recycling”
   https://www.kankyo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/
   Accessed February 2026. Official Tokyo government waste management policies and guidelines. Provides oversight for waste reduction and recycling programs across Tokyo’s 23 special wards.

2. Ministry of the Environment (環境省)
   “Waste Management and Recycling” (廃棄物・リサイクル対策)
   https://www.env.go.jp/recycle/
   Accessed February 2026. National waste management policies including the Home Appliance Recycling Law (家電リサイクル法) and Container and Packaging Recycling Law (容器包装リサイクル法) that govern local sorting requirements.

3. Home Appliance Recycling Law (家電リサイクル法)
   Specified Home Appliance Recycling Act
   https://www.env.go.jp/recycle/kaden/
   Accessed February 2026. Legal framework requiring special recycling for four appliance categories: televisions, refrigerators/freezers, washing machines/dryers, and air conditioners. Mandates manufacturer take-back and consumer recycling fees.

4. Shinjuku Ward
   ”Garbage and Recycling Guide” (ごみ・リサイクル)
   https://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/seikatsu/gomi01.html
   Accessed February 2026. Example of ward-specific garbage rules, collection schedules, and designated bag requirements. Shinjuku requires designated paid bags for burnable garbage.

5. Shibuya Ward
   ”Waste Separation and Collection Schedule”
   https://www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp/kurashi/gomi/
   Accessed February 2026. Ward-level garbage collection calendar and sorting guidelines. Demonstrates variation in collection schedules and bag requirements between wards.

6. Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association
   ”PET Bottle Recycling”
   https://www.petbottle-rec.gr.jp/
   Accessed February 2026. Official information on PET bottle collection, sorting requirements (caps and labels separate), and recycling processes. Japan’s PET bottle collection rate exceeds 90%.

Note on Landfill Capacity: Japan’s remaining landfill capacity varies by region and type (general waste vs. industrial waste). The Ministry of the Environment reports that as of recent surveys, remaining years of landfill capacity for general waste nationally is estimated at approximately 20 years at current disposal rates. Tokyo specifically has very limited landfill space, making waste reduction and recycling critical.

Note on Incineration Rates: Approximately 70% of Japan’s municipal solid waste is incinerated, with the ash then landfilled. Tokyo operates several modern incineration facilities with advanced pollution controls. Proper sorting ensures burnable waste meets incineration requirements and reduces landfill volume by approximately 90% through incineration.

Note on Designated Bag Requirements: Not all of Tokyo’s 23 wards require designated paid bags. As of 2026, wards with designated bag systems include Shinjuku, Shibuya, Setagaya, Meguro, Suginami, Kita, Arakawa, Itabashi, Nerima, and others. Prices range from ¥10 (5L small) to ¥80 (40L large). Other wards accept any transparent/semi-transparent bags for burnable garbage. Check your specific ward’s regulations.

Note on Oversized Waste Collection: The 粗大ゴミ (sodai gomi) system for items over 30cm is managed at the ward level. Collection fees (¥400-¥2,800) and scheduling procedures vary by ward. Disposal stickers (粗大ごみ処理券) are sold at convenience stores, designated shops, and some ward offices. Online booking systems are available in most wards.

Note on Collection Times: The “by 8:00 AM” rule is standard across Tokyo wards, though some wards specify “by 8:30 AM”. Garbage must be placed at the designated collection point (ごみ集積所) on the morning of collection, not the night before, to prevent crow and cat damage. Check your ward’s specific collection time requirements.

Claim Verification Note: The statistic that “Japan’s remaining landfill capacity could be full in about 20 years” is based on Ministry of the Environment projections for general waste landfill capacity. Actual timeline varies by region and waste reduction efforts. For the most current data, consult the Ministry of the Environment’s annual waste management statistics.