Reflections on a two-decade journey toward zero waste: A case study of Kamikatsu town, Japan

Global waste continues to grow exponentially due to over-consumption, rapid urbanization and lifestyle changes (Malik et al., 2015). Challenges for solid waste management are growing due to increased consumption, waste generation and changes in the composition of waste posing budgetary problems for over-stretched municipal finances (Guerrero et al., 2013). ‘Zero waste’ is a holistic vision for sustainable waste management (Zaman, 2015) that includes diverse strategies aimed at building capacity for waste reduction, repair, reuse and recycling (Cole et al., 2014). The core concept seeks to combine sustainable consumption with optimized recycling and recovery (Romano et al., 2019). “Zero Waste maximises recycling, minimises waste, reduces consumption and ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the market place” (Matete and Trois, 2008). Thus the Zero Waste innovation significantly relies on the idea of ‘Separate at Source’ (SAS) as the most common practice. SAS provides a better recycled material quality and diversion rate, also costing less than most municipal kerbside collection schemes but requires active participation from the communities (Matsumoto, 2011; Seyring et al., 2016).