Practice of Japan's waste treatment and utilization and inspiration for China

Waste treatment and utilization are closely related to the ecological environment of the sustainable earth. China has issued a series of relevant laws, regulations, and standards around waste treatment and recycling at present. The waste treatment and utilization have been continuously improved to construct the waste recycling system. However, the imperfect legal and regulatory of waste recycling, and the low efficiency of industrialization have restricted the efficient treatment and utilization of waste in China. It is very necessary to draw on the experiences from of the developed countries in the concepts, policies, technologies, and management on of waste treatment and utilization. Among them, Japan is at the forefront of waste treatment and utilization in the world. This article aims to review the current situation of waste generation, treatment, and utilization in Japan, with the an emphasis on the anaerobic fermentation for biogas production, aerobic composting for fertilizer production, and food waste feed conversion. The results show that a significant downward trend was found in the amount of waste that generated and ultimately treated in Japan since 2000, especially with the promotion of waste classification and recycling. The final disposal volume of waste decreased by about 77% (13 million tons) in 2019, compared with 2000. The waste recycling rate was about 43%, with an increase of 7 percentage points. Anaerobic digestion, aerobic composting, and functional feed technologies were industrialized and applied at the international leading level in Japan. In addition, an in-depth analysis was provided for the rich experience and practical practices in the waste treatment and utilization. Great importance was also attached to the binding role of laws and regulations. A comprehensive regulatory system was established to cover the entire waste recycling chain. The specific and clear provisions were provided for the effective waste management. The sustainable industry was greatly contributed to the stable and efficient operation in of a sound recycling and payment, particularly for an operational subsidy and product policies. In terms of technological innovation, a strong sense of leadership was achieved in the traditional technologies, such as biogas production and incineration power generation. The industrial operations were also observed in new technologies, such as kitchen waste feed conversion and biological hydrogen production, indicating strong technological innovation. The guiding role was also obtained in the science popularization and education. The systematic and multi-level science popularization activities were effectively enhanced the environmental awareness, the concept of 'whoever produces, pays', public participation, and joint maintenance of environmental protection. Finally, some suggestions were made to fully learn from the successful experience and practices in the waste treatment and utilization. The priority principle of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) was followed to construct a complete waste recycling, from the aspects of laws and regulations, technological innovation, operational construction, and conceptual transformation. The low-carbon and circular development can also be promoted to reduce the high waste generation in the diverse types for the high treatment and utilization rates in China.