Different from my expectation, the garbage collection policy in Obihiro is very strict. There are tens of garbage groups and each of them is collected only on a particular week of day. For example, Milk packs should be washed and spread into a sheet of paper beforehand, and it is collected only on Mondays. Plastic bottles should be washed too and they are collected separately from their caps. Strict policy is a natural demand in a cramp city such as Tokyo, but Obihiro is one of the most spacious cities in Japan. It is proved by the fact that there are at least three airports in this city. Why did they enact such a strict rule then? I think there are two reasons for that. One is money. I had to pay 90 yen for each colored plastic bag; the blue one is for Non-burnable waste and the red one is for burnable waste. Of course the bag is not so costly, but most of the money is tax and it is used to collect and dispose the garbage. The other reason is to protect the earth from garbage. I don't think the idea of ecology has infiltrated to all the residents, but it is working at least for persuading them to pay the tax and accept the inconvenience. Anyway, I don't know where to categorize the paper lid of instant noodle coated with metal to be water proof. Burnable or non-burnable, that is the question.
Comments