I am back in India after two weeks in Japan and while many things about this rule-bound and terrifically polite society have impressed me, one thing that stood out was the country's attitude - well, almost an obsession - with garbage.
It was sakura - cherry blossom - time in Tokyo and hanami parties (locals had spread out their mats under trees in full bloom with picnic baskets and sake) were underway at two of the largest local parks and hangouts - Ueno park and Shinjuku Gyoen. Both were crowded and footfalls were high through the day.
As you walked the pathway lined on both sides with these beautiful trees, you couldn't help but notice the elaborate arrangements made to dispose of garbage - there were large containers placed every few steps with bins that systematically separated bottles, cans and PET bottles, glass bottles, garbage that could be burned, newspapers and magazines. At some places, public workers were present - the entire day - to guide you on where you could throw what.
The locals usually left the parks cleaner than when they entered them. No one thought twice about picking up something dropped by someone else and depositing it where it was meant to go.
Throughout my trip, I stayed at apartments booked through Airbnb (a website that allows you to book and stay at apartments across the world). And in every place we stayed, the most elaborate instructions were related to garbage. Different coloured bags were provided in every apartment to dispose of different types of waste. In bold letters, the apartment owners insisted that you followed the instructions to a T. Coming from India, I found this quite strange and almost obsessive. And more than once, I was worried if I was following the required protocol with regards to garbage.
It is pointless to compare India with Europe and other developed parts of the world. But with Japan, you can't help but wonder how a country as densely populated can manage to remain as spotless as it does. This holds true even for public facilities in trains, parks and subway stations.
So, the first opportunity I got, I asked friends who had been in Tokyo for over a decade about this seeming preoccupation with garbage and its treatment.
To start with, the Japanese Cabinet in 2008 approved a plan that targeted to reduce the total waste from about 52 million tonnes in 2007 to about 50 million tonnes in 2012 and to raise the waste recycling rate from 20 to 25 per cent during the same period. A lot of emphasis is given to this problem and that trickles down to everyone below.
They also pointed out that the law requires them to take this seriously and this is a rule-bound lot. Citizens are expected to take care of how they separate their garbage. What can be recycled is recycled - in this case, by the Japan Container and Packaging Recycling Association. What can't be recycled is burnt and what can't be recycled or burnt is both frowned upon and buried. There is, in other words, a system in place and it is a system that works.
I have a suggestion. Next time, when Indian ministers meet their Japanese counterparts, they would do well to seek some assistance - just like with the Delhi Metro - in managing India's gargantuan and ever-growing garbage problem (three of the world's largest dump sites are in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, according to the Waste Atlas, 2014).
Instead of sweeping the garbage thrown on the streets - most politicians and film actors campaigning for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan have been doing that - there might be a more scientific and effective way to ensure that garbage is not thrown on the streets to start with. It's time we changed our approach. To reach the wonderful goal of Swachh Bharat, taking a few lessons and some help from a Swachh Japan might not be a bad idea.
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper
