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How to dispose of bulk trash in Japan

By on December 10, 2015

The Year-end decluttering season or ‘osoji’ (literally means big cleaning) is just around the corner.

Purge unneeded items in the house and office in order to free up space and welcome the new year on a clean slate.

While you can throw combustible and non-combustible items on regular pick-up days for free, large items like furnitures and electronics are disposed of for a fee in Japan.
There are two options for discarding bulky rubbish or soudai gomi in Japan.

(The cheaper option)
Soudai Gomi Uketsuke Center (Government-run center in charge of bulky trash items)
To throw away beds, cabinets, barbecue grills, baby chairs, cribs or any bulky item at home, do the following:

1) Measure the item in cm.

2) Call Soudai Gomi Uketsuke Center in Japanese and say your name, address, what you are throwing away and the dimensions. If you don’t speak Japanese, ask a friend or your concierge to help you.

sodai gomi sticker

3) You will be given a number and instructions on how much stickers to buy for each item you are discarding (at convenience stores within your ward) and the date of pick up. For example, if you are a resident of Minato-ku, buy stickers only marked ‘Minato-ku’. There are 2 sticker types available: ‘A’ sticker is ¥500 each and ‘B’ sticker is ¥300. Stick the exact amount of stickers on each item.

Soudai Gomi Uketsuke Center
Tel. 03-5296-7000

(Quite expensive  option )    To throw your old TV, fridge, washer, aircon and other bulky electronic items, the Sodai Gomi Center will give you the contact number of the electronics recycling center to call.

According to the Recycling Law of Japan, all electronics should be discarded through the recycling center. Note that fees for electronic items are quite expensive. ( Example: A 42″ old plasma TV is ¥8,000, a 20-inch TV is ¥5,000).

The center charges a bit more (approx between ¥2,000 – ¥5,000)  if the items have to be picked up from your apartment instead of a designated place at the ground floor of your building.

Year-end garbage pick-up is at its busiest in the 3rd and 4th weeks in December. So if you need unwanted, unloved items gone by the end of this year, book pick-up early.

About Ted Tanaka