Nearly 50 million tons of waste is produced by households in Japan every year. Of the total, around 8% is recycled, a figure that's been rising every year. Industrial waste (generated by factories, at construction sites, and elsewhere), meanwhile, totals around 400 million tons a year, of which nearly 40% is recycled.

The garbage produced by households is collected separately depending on whether or not it burns. Combustible waste is first incinerated, so the total volume of household trash taken to landfills is around 15 million tons a year.

There are around 2,300 landfills in Japan today, many of which will soon be full. This is one of the biggest concerns confronting local governments today.