Disposing of something doesn’t have to mean throwing it away—it is simply a question of getting rid of it. You can sell it to a second-hand shop, pass it on to a brother or sister, give it to someone you don’t know, or make it into something else and use it up… The more of these different disposal routes you have, the easier it will be to get things out of your life.
• Batteries, needles, etc.
• Dolls, soft toys
• Clothes
• Books
• Expensive branded goods and accessories
• Sweets, cakes, etc.
• Electrical goods
• Paper trash (documents, receipts, junk mail, etc.)
Of course the local authority will provide a service for the disposal of batteries, needles, etc. But chances are you don’t know what it is. It’s a good idea to find out, but you’re likely to discover there’s only a collection twice a month. In the meantime the items are still there.
Check out the alternatives. Batteries are often collected at local libraries, large shops, etc. When you buy batteries for your camera, radio, etc., the shop assistant will often change the batteries for you and dispose of the old ones.
• Dolls, soft toys
Through my survey I was surprised to discover that many Japanese people find dolls and soft toys difficult to throw away because “they have eyes” or “they might curse you.” Anybody in Japan who feels uncomfortable disposing of dolls as trash could try a temple. Some Japanese temples, especially those that run pet cemeteries, hold special services for dolls. Participation would cost several thousand yen.
• Clothes, books, and expensive branded goods and accessories
A welcome alternative disposal method for these is selling them or giving them away. You can sell online or use second-hand shops and bookshops, pawnbrokers, noticeboards in a local-authority office or local hall, specialist magazines, or “For Sale and Wanted” in a local paper. If the idea that they’re going to be used again releases you from feelings of guilt about waste, then these are good options.
You may have been given cakes, sweets, pickles, or boxes of fruit. If the alternative is leaving them to go bad, then get on and give them away. If you’re working, take them to the office—if you put a box of dried or fresh fruit near the coffee pot, people will take them happily. Towels and cups may be useful at the office too, so take them in.
If a friend comes round, you can give them some of the food as a present—almost anybody would be delighted to accept jam, tea, chocolates, etc.
• Electrical goods
In Japan, TVs, air-conditioning units, fridges, and washing machines are subject to a recycling law, whereby retailers are obliged to recycle items when requested by their customers. The law tends to make people think they shouldn’t treat such items as trash. But did you know that the cost is borne by the consumer? When you buy a new fridge you are charged for the removal of the old one. Thinking about how these electrical appliances are recycled makes me very uneasy. It may well be better to pay the local authority to pick up them up as large rubbish items.
Of course, sometimes these items can be sold or given away. If you know someone who is moving into their own apartment, for example, you could ask them if they want your old television. They may be very pleased.
• Paper trash (documents, receipts, junk mail, etc.)
Have you ever picked something up, decided it was trash, but then, in the absence of a nearby bin, put it in a drawer and left it there? A simple answer here is that the more trash bins and baskets you have, the more you will throw away. It helps you to discard things on the spot. For paper and other burnable trash have at least one bin in every room.
Having a variety of places and methods for disposal makes the process easier. Choose the ones that cause the least trouble and anxiety. For example, if you can’t throw something away because of a sense of waste, then disposal via a second-hand shop might be the best option for you.
In reality, things often end up being thrown away by somebody else anyway. But don’t worry about that, as long as your approach helps you to get rid of things.