Author:Shaney Crawford, Issue: September 2003, Topic: Environment

If you need to get rid of an air conditioner, refrigerator, TV, or washing machine, you have two options: sell it or recycle it. Japanese law does not allow you to just throw these items out. You can sell them to a local recycle shop (Ishimaru, Hard Off, or any number of smaller vendors) or you can find an individual buyer through your friends and neighbours or the TAIRA mailing list. If you are unable to find a buyer, please read the following for instructions on how to recycle these four items.

If you bought the item new from a store, you can take it back to the store. The store will send the item to the manufacturer to be recycled. You will have to pay the following fee:

Refrigerator: 4600 yen + shipping + tax
Air Conditioner: 3500 yen + shipping + tax
Television: 2700 yen + shipping + tax
Washing Machine: 2400 yen + shipping + tax

Some stores will accept the appliance whether you bought it there or not, so please ask.

If you bought the item used, or the original store is far away or has closed down, you can take it to the Clean Center yourself or have it delivered there. The Clean Center will then send it to the manufacturer for recycling. In this case, you will have to go to the post office, fill out a form, and buy a recycling ticket. If you can transport it yourself, you can take it directly to the Clean Center once you have completed the paperwork. If you are not able to transport it, please contact an authorized waste management company for assistance. They will charge you a fee for the pick up and delivery of the item. Phone numbers of authorized waste management companies and more information about this process can be found at the City Hall.

For more information, please see these sites.

Tsukuba City
http://www.city.tsukuba.ibaraki.jp _[E/J]

Recycling Ticket Center
http://www.rkc.aeha.or.jp _[J]

Ministry of the Environment
http://www.env.go.jp _[E/J]

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