What are the waste issues caused by an aging population? Considering SDGs through waste.
Associate Professor Misuzu Asari of Kyoto University's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences is a true "waste specialist," dedicated to research on waste. She founded the "Kyoto University Waste Club," spearheaded efforts to transform the campus into an eco-campus, and engages in community activities to reduce plastic waste and disaster debris... She energetically pursues research and activities related to "waste," "the environment," and "SDGs."
We asked Professor Asari about her activities and the "present and future of waste." She shared her thoughts on the plastic bag fee system and discussed various ways to reduce waste, offering a wealth of insights on all things related to garbage.
Establishing the "Kyoto University Waste Club" to Change the University! The Path to Waste Research
──While teaching at Kyoto University, you spearhead various SDGs-related activities. The origin of these efforts was the "Kyoto University Garbage Club" you launched during your student days. First, could you tell us about the background and activities of the "Kyoto University Garbage Club"?
Asari: When I entered in 1996, Kyoto University as a whole was far removed from environmental issues. With diverse research ongoing, it was commonplace for lights to shine brightly 24 hours a day, like a city that never sleeps. Consumables, including expensive paper towels used for cleaning lab equipment, were being used and discarded freely. Witnessing this scene shocked me deeply, and I thought, "We have to do something about this." That's why I started the "Kyoto University Garbage Club."
The Kyoto University Waste Management Club primarily focused on research and advocacy activities to introduce ISO 14001 (the international standard for environmental management systems) within the university. We drafted proposals and even went to directly negotiate with the then-President, Professor Makoto Nagao. Additionally, we initiated pilot projects to implement ISO 14001 in our own research labs and at the newly established Katsura Campus.
By passing these activities on to younger members and continuing them for five, ten years, the atmosphere on campus gradually changed, and a foundation for environmental conservation efforts was established. Later, the "Kyoto University Garbage Club" evolved into the " Eco-Cord Kyoto University" project, aiming to realize a sustainable campus not only within the university but also in collaboration with local residents. This project continues its activities today.
──It's amazing that an activity started during your student days continues to this day... How about your "academic pursuits"? What kind of research lab were you affiliated with, and what research did you conduct?
Asari: During my student days, I conducted research under Professor Hiroshi Takatsuki (currently Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University and Director of the Kyoto Ecology Center), a leading authority on waste research. I wasn't particularly focused on waste issues at the time, but since I was leading the "Kyoto University Waste Club," I happened to meet Professor Takatsuki, and he perfectly aligned with my approach and mindset.
Incidentally, Professor Takatsuki is a very unique scholar who works as a manga artist while conducting waste research. Meeting him led me down the path of waste research, and I've continued to focus on environmental issues centered around waste ever since.
The current focus is on "plastic waste" and "waste issues stemming from an aging population."
──Mr. Asari, who has consistently engaged with the themes of the environment and waste through both extracurricular activities and research. What is the current state of "Japan's waste" from your perspective? Please share your insights on trends, hot topics, and challenges.
Asari: I believe "plastic waste" is undoubtedly the hottest topic right now. With the introduction of fees for plastic shopping bags, I feel public interest has reached an unprecedented level.
Just recently, news broke that "over 70% of customers are declining plastic bags at convenience stores." I think many people are genuinely feeling, "We can reduce this." However, plastic shopping bags only account for about 5-6% of all plastic waste. While it's not exactly small, it's not huge either. So, we can't stop here. I believe we must reduce other plastic products just as we have with shopping bags.
The plastic product we must reduce next, after shopping bags, is undoubtedly PET bottles. To reduce PET bottles, making water readily available at home is essential. Installing water purifiers on taps, filling reusable bottles with water to carry around... I'd be grateful if as many people as possible could start doing these very basic things. I also hope companies, not just individual households, will install water purifiers and water dispensers. It would be wonderful if workplaces could improve their water infrastructure as part of their facilities.
──It seems many companies still serve bottled water to customers. Simply switching to filtered water or tea could significantly reduce plastic waste.
Asari: Yes, I agree. Individual actions are important, but large-scale corporate initiatives have a significant impact.
Another unavoidable issue is the growing difficulty of waste disposal due to an aging population. In recent years, there has been a clear increase in elderly individuals unable to dispose of their garbage, leading to accumulation. Furthermore, the nature of the waste is changing—for example, there's an increase in items like disposable diapers and single-serving meal packs. It's anticipated that existing collection systems and processing facilities may soon become insufficient to handle this.
Japan is now entering an unprecedented era of low birthrates and an aging society, unlike anything other nations have experienced. The evolving waste challenges stemming from aging will likely become a major issue before long. We are truly at a point where there is no time to wait; it is time to seriously consider solutions.
Relying solely on local governments is not enough. Individuals and businesses must step up and proactively devise systems for collecting waste from the elderly. We must urgently advance the creation of self-help and mutual-aid communities, as well as the development of collection and processing methods suited to the increasing volume of waste accompanying aging.
We must also confront the issue of "disaster waste" processing
──Mr. Asari, you are also tackling the issue of disaster waste disposal. You entered the disaster-stricken areas during the July 2020 heavy rains and conducted support activities. What kind of activities did you carry out?
Asari: I supported a pioneering initiative in Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, at a temporary disaster waste storage site. It involved "pre-sorting waste and collecting it by category." In areas hit by typhoons or floods, traffic jams frequently occur when trying to dispose of disaster waste.
The main causes of these jams are poor information sharing with disaster victims, leading to unclear disposal methods, and trucks carrying mixed loads of various types of waste, causing delays during unloading. Sorting occurs during unloading, which takes time, preventing subsequent vehicles from entering and clogging the road.
Therefore, we distributed leaflets announcing requests like "Please sort waste beforehand and bring only one type of waste per load—for example, only tatami mats if tatami, only wood if wood." We also provided guidance at temporary collection sites.
When flooding occurs during summer and water reaches above floor level, items like wet tatami mats start emitting foul odors within days. Garbage dampened by muddy water can also become breeding grounds for bacteria and pests. That's why we must transport and process the waste as quickly and smoothly as possible. However, this proves quite challenging. We're experimenting with various methods, but it's still far from perfect. We recognize we must continue researching and refining our approach.
──Beyond waste separation, is there anything ordinary citizens or businesses can do? If there are ways of living that anticipate disaster waste issues, please share them.
Asari: I think it would be helpful if people avoided accumulating unnecessary items in everyday life. First, try to reduce the amount of things you own. Also, moving important items to the second floor or higher is effective.
Another point I want people to be mindful of is participating in building self-help and mutual aid systems, as I mentioned in the section on aging. During the Kumamoto disaster, the impact of COVID-19 meant there weren't enough volunteers, and cleanup progress was very slow. Disasters strike unpredictably. Multiple disasters could occur simultaneously, or assistance from other prefectures might not be available. For such times, and also to address the aging population mentioned earlier, I believe it's increasingly important to build good relationships with your neighbors now.
Nothing changes unless we start with ourselves! Trust your intuition and take action.
──Could you offer advice to companies aiming to solve waste issues?
Asari: I believe "sharing" will be key going forward. While various sharing services already exist—like car sharing, umbrella sharing, and shared offices—I think there are still significant business opportunities in this area. I sincerely hope companies will actively develop new sharing services.
Additionally, I would be delighted if companies also embraced sharing within the workplace. I hope they will advance infrastructure development by sharing not just water, but also stationery, eco-bags, workspaces, and everything else.
──Finally, could you share your thoughts on "how to process information"? Searching online yields mountains of information about SDGs and environmental issues. Some of it uses alarmist language or presents information that's hard to verify. How should we filter through all this to find accurate information?
Asari: I get asked this a lot... My answer is always: "Judge based on your own intuition." I want people to value that gut feeling – that sense of "This feels right" or "This doesn't feel right." Avoid overloading yourself with unnecessary information. Think clearly for yourself, then make a quick judgment. Information and decisions grasped this way often turn out to be correct.
Don't get bogged down in overthinking. Think thoroughly, then start taking small actions where you can. Something will definitely change. Don't make it seem daunting—"We must solve the waste problem" or "We must achieve the SDGs." Start by taking action right where you are. As more people take action, I believe Japan, and eventually the world, will gradually transform into something sustainable.
TeamSDGs collaborates with various SDGs stakeholders to disseminate information about the SDGs and plan/develop solutions.
※Please also see Professor Misuzu Asari's article here:
The "Just Do It!" Spirit That Propelled Kyoto University to SDG Leadership ~ Associate Professor Misuzu Asari, Kyoto University Global Environmental Studies
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