Making use of garbage

Disposing of the garbage we produce every day is a major problem in cities around the world.

In the United State, over 160 millions tons of garbage are produced every year. Ten percent is recycled, ten percent is burned, and the rest is put in landfills. But finding land for new landfills is becoming more difficult.

A city that has solved this problem in an unusual way is Machida, in Tokyo, Japan. They have developed a totally new approach to garbage disposal. The key to the operation is public cooperation. Families must divide their garbage into six categories :

1. Garbage that can be easily burned (that is, combustible garbage), such as kitchen and garden trash.
2. Noncombustible garbage, such as small electrical appliances, plastic tools, and plastic toys.
3. Product that are poisonous or that causes pollution, such as batteries and fluorescent lights.
4. Bottles and glass containers that can be recycled.
5. Metal containers that can be recycled.
6. Large items, such as furniture and bicycles.

The items in categories 1 to 5 are collected of different days, (large items are only collected upon request). Then the garbage is taken to a center that looks like a clean new office building or hospital. Inside the center, special equipment is used to sort and process the garbage. Almost everything can be reused : garden or kitchen trash becomes fertilizer ; combustible garbage is burned to produce electricity, metal containers and bottles are recycled, and old furniture, clothing, and other useful items are cleaned, repaired, and resold cheaply or given away. The work provides employment for handicapped persons and gives a chance to learn new skills.

Nowadays, officials from cities around the world visit Machida to see whether they can use some of these ideals and techniques to solve their own garbage disposal problems.