1. How did you get rid of your garbage before the zero-waste initiative?

Many places in Japan separate garbage into burnables, unburnables, and recyclables, but here in Kamikatsu, we didn't.  Our parents and grandparents burned most of their garbage.  We didn't have a garbage incinerator in our town,  so many people just burned garbage in their fields.

2. What was the most challenging part of introducing the new recycling system?

Our new system is so complicated!  People had to switch from not recycling anything at all, to our new classification system.  In Kamikatsu, we have 45 different categories of recycling!  We also turn old things into new ones.  My mother's windbreaker is made from used carp streamers.

It is hard work to use our recycling system, but we also have a campaign.  We can get points by bringing in different kinds of paper waste for recycling.  For example, we can get one point for one paper bag full of scrap paper or a set of five milk cartons.  We can exchange the points for other things such as toilet paper.  We have attached a poster from our town which explains this campaign.

3. Do you think people's attitudes have changed?

Yes, people in our town really feel like they have learned a lot about how to take care of things.  Now, we think carefully before we throw anything away because it might be useful later.

4. Do you have any advice for us?

Things might be difficult at first, so be patient.  Some people are set in their ways, so you will need to take time to explain the benefits to them.