Kamikatsu, a small mountainous Japanese town on the Shikoku Island
, is recognized for being the first municipality with zero waste in Japan, the result of its unique Zero Waste Center. By 2016, the town achieved a 81% recycling rate – a stark contrast to the national average of 20%. (Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
With only 1,400 inhabitants, of the 107 km²
of Kamikatsu, 88.3% are covered by lush green forest, while the remaining deforested land is cultivated or inhabited. Citrus orchards and rice fields fill the natural landscape on the steep slopes of the mountains, elements that made the site listed as one of the 100 most beautiful villages in Japan. (Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
The town's zero waste rate was only possible due to the sustainable practices adopted by the residents, who bring their household waste to the Zero Waste Center to be correctly disposed of according to the city rules. There are 45 different categories for sorting waste, which even include the possibility of reuse. The labels on the respective boxes indicate how those items will be recycled, where in Japan that will occur and how much it costs the city per kilogram to process them. Steps to achieve zero waste
(Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
Despite the recognition of the sustainable town, that was not its reality at a time when waste burning in open air was the norm in Kamikatsu. For over 20 years, starting in 1975, all kinds of industrial waste produced en masse – from cabinets to car tires – were burned in Hibigatani, the former landfill where the Zero Waste Center stands today. The air was permanently loaded with clouds of smoke and the smell of burning plastics, which could be felt up to six kilometers away. (Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
The situation forced the town to change in the 1990s, when the population organized to address the burning of waste, led by a group of municipal authorities and residents. However, things only began to change after actions involving public authorities, even with some resistance. In 1991, the town sought to solve the problem of household waste by funding the purchase of composters for all families. In 1997, recycling began in nine categories. This number increased to 25 the following year. (Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
A brief attempt to use small incinerators together with the recycling system was discontinued in 2001, after it was discovered that the machines emitted dangerous levels of dioxins and other substances. The municipal authorities expanded sorting to 33 categories. In 2003, Kamikatsu became the first municipality in Japan to declare a zero waste goal by 2020. The town has maintained a sorting system with 45 categories since 2016. Even with a satisfactory sustainable scenario for the projects, there is still a desire among the population to improve ecological techniques. (Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
The city's waste collection system is just the most visible aspect of its zero waste practices. The social enterprise INOW, for instance, has educational programs and unique experiences to bring visitors to the community with the aim of engaging them in its cultural traditions, rural ingenuity and relationship with nature. Beyond recycling, the concept of zero waste that is part of the town's identity is about how people relate to things in their daily lives. Between challenges and hopes
(Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
Although incineration does not occur within the city limits, a portion of the waste continues to be sent to other locations for that purpose — such as menstrual pads, used paper towels, medical masks, rubber gloves, and irreparable shoes — which today account for about 19% of urban waste. Even with a recycling rate of 81%, the total volume of waste generated has remained stable over the last 10 to 15 years, with a slight increase during this period. (Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
Another challenge that Kamikatsu faces is the aging population, just like in all rural towns in Japan. The city had 6,263 inhabitants in 1955. By 2024, this number dropped to 1,362 people, partly due to the loss of jobs resulting from the collapse of the region's timber industry in the 1970s. The elderly represent more than 52% of the population, however, about 50 people, most of this demographic group, die each year. (Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
As the 55 villages of Kamikatsu are mostly isolated by dense mountainous forests, doing door-to-door waste collection for all residents was seen as too high a cost. However, it was a problem for the elderly to go to the waste collection point, due to certain physical limitations of age. Therefore, a group of residents started to help the elderly transport their waste to Hibigatani, which generated the current waste transportation assistance system managed by the city hall, where all registered households can have their waste collected for free every two months. But this system is subject to a lack of young labor. 
Additionally, there are also other issues like scarcity of viable housing for newcomers and lack of educational facilities beyond elementary school. Therefore, local residents and advocates of the sustainable movement understand that Kamikatsu needs to be a place where its residents want and can continue to live, even if that means making the waste collection system more adaptable to the residents. (Bharat Sikka/Divulgação)
On the other hand, in the last five years there has been a steady flow of young people who have moved to Kamikatsu, attracted to the town by its progressive environmental policies. Many stay in the neighborhood longer than expected by recognizing the existence of a united community for a meaningful purpose. 
