Japan, in efforts to conserve limited resources and to manage a solid waste situation amplified by a dense and growing population, has responded by implementing laws intended to promote environmentally conscious attitudes. Included in these laws are statutes covering the use and disposal of packaging products. Under current waste management laws, no packaging products are banned or restricted in Japan.

Recycling is increasingly being seen as an important contributor to Japan's waste management strategy and has gained a foothold in Japanese society. The Japan recycling laws, as they relate to packaging, are based on a waste classification system to determine which materials are recycled and by whom. For the most part, Japan has been able to unify industry, government and consumers to focus on specific materials in the waste stream which have been targeted for recycling.

In June 1995, the Japanese government enacted a bill, " Concerning the Promotion of the Separation, Collection and Recycling of Container Packaging." Otherwise known as the Packaging Waste Management Law, this broad regulation establishes a shared responsibility approach to managing packaging waste. This concept puts the onus on consumers for separating waste for collection, municipalities for collecting it, and industry for recycling the collected materials.

Under this law, all packaging and wrapping, including beverage containers, are effected. The 1995 packaging law stipulates that municipalities develop and implement source separated collection systems for the various packaging materials stipulated in the bill. Municipalities have the sole responsibility for collecting packaging waste, exempting industry from funding collection infrastructures. Municipalities may choose to implement volume-based collection fees to encourage the separation of waste by consumers. The theory is that as municipalities implement source separation programs for packaging materials and the recycling infrastructure begins to evolve, recycling will gradually increase. The law does not specify any recovery targets.

The 1995 packaging law limits industry's responsibility to recycle packaging. The law defines "industry" as packaging users and packaging manufacturers, including food processors, manufacturers, department stores, and supermarkets. It covers commercial centers where packaging is passed on to the consumer and industries which utilize packaging to protect goods during transport.

The law directs that "industrial waste" packaging collected by municipalities, usually through a third-party waste collection organization, be recycled. Packaging and cushioning products, such as corrugated paper and EPS, are classified as industrial waste. Most businesses are required to comply with the packaging law starting in 1997; however, small businesses will be exempt.

Packaging included in the Packaging Waste Management law have been grouped according to material type and assigned various implementation dates to allow recycling infrastructures for these materials to develop. Materials which fall under the initial deadline in January 1997, are cans, glass bottles, paper packaging and PET bottles. Corrugated paper and other plastics packaging have to be recycled by the year 2000.

The 1995 packaging law is intended to spread responsibility for packaging collection and recycling in a cooperative fashion. By law, the framework for the collection and recycling process is as follows:

Step 1: Separation of industrial waste by business/end-user;

Step 2: Collection, transport and compacting/washing of industrial discards by municipality; and

Step 3: Transfer of prepared materials to waste management companies or facilities maintained by material-specific recycling associations and organizations, sponsored by the appropriate industry.

Industries responsible for recycling packaging are legally required to form a separate, non-profit organization to perform the recycling of source separated materials. This type of organization must obtain government approval and shares recycling costs with industry at a rate determined by the government according to sales and volume of sales.

The Japanese government, known in their legislative capacity as the "Diet", began to legislate waste management solutions in the early 1970's. Initially, the Diet sought to classify waste with the "Waste Disposal and Public Cleaning Law". Passed in 1970, this law divides waste into two categories, domestic and industrial. The type of waste dictates which entity is responsible for its disposal and the extent to which recycling is available as a waste management solution.

To financially encourage collaboration regarding collection and recycling efforts, the Japanese government passed the "Law for Special Measures for Promoting Utilization of Recycled Resources" in 1991. Official loans, interest support, and tax incentives were made available to companies with production facilities making CFC-free packaging products. The resulting decrease in overhead costs for these businesses allowed them to allocate additional resources to adhere to environmental laws.

The Japanese government, having legislated to include packaging in the recycling stream, saw the need to encourage recyclables markets and to promote the production of materials with recycled content. In 1991, the "Law for Promotion of Utilization of Recycled Materials" was passed. This law mandated that executive agencies of the government should designate those industries most capable of using recyclable materials in their products, as well as those specific products which are most frequently manufactured using recycled materials.

Under this law's "Special Industry" provision, industries designated as capable of using recyclable materials are subject to strict regulation of their manufacturing processes to ensure continued compliance. Industries exempt from this provision are simply encouraged to use recycled materials in their products. Improvement in product design is also recommended, but not mandated, to more easily facilitate source separation and recycling of different materials.

It is evident that Japan's packaging laws were designed in conjunction with waste management and recycling initiatives in mind. Although there are no bans on any type of packaging material in Japan, the government has strongly encouraged businesses and industries to use recyclable packaging materials. Directing businesses to recycle packaging will help solidify local recycling systems by ensuring a constant flow of recyclable materials. By 1997 and 2000 respectively, all businesses must adhere with these environmental guidelines for packaging disposal which were designed as part of Japan's broad plan to increase recycling. The outlook for packaging in Japan is highly optimistic if the product is efficient, conserves resources, and can be recycled.