Easy waste sorting guide

Unsure about waste sorting? Find disposal options for your item

Enter your item's material, dirt, size and municipality to check possible burnable, non-burnable, recyclable or bulky waste categories. See what to verify before you throw it away.

Enter the item you want to dispose of
Download your sorting checklist

Free, with no registration. Download the checklist to your device.

A text file with an example. Add your item details to the saved checklist or print it for reference.

Check before disposal

Food container example
Items to check when sorting waste and a waste sorting checklist
Check the material and condition as well as the item name.

Plastic items can follow different rules

Some municipalities treat food packaging differently from reusable products.

Possible categories
Check the local item list to see whether it belongs in burnable, non-burnable or recyclable waste
Dirt and material
Check whether dirt can be washed off and lids or metal parts can be removed
Size
If it exceeds your municipality's size limit, check the bulky waste rules too

The results are possible categories. Check your municipality's official rules before disposal.

How to find official rules
Open the waste sorting section on your city, ward, town or village's official website and search for the item. Check the collection day, required bags and collection point as well as the category.

Possible categories and checks for your item

This tool does not automatically look up your municipality's sorting list. It suggests possible categories from your inputs and puts the points to check on the official website into a checklist. Enter dimensions in a format such as "20cm", "0.5m" or "200mm".

If there is a hazard, check the collection instructions for that item first. Material and size alone are not enough to determine its category.

Saved notes for items you often discard

These are the possible categories shown when you saved the results. Collection methods may change, so check official information before disposal.

Check packaging and products separately

A food tray and a reusable food storage container may be collected differently even though both are plastic. Check the item name and material identification label, and consult the item list for instructions on items with dirt that cannot be removed.

For items made of multiple materials, check only the parts you can easily separate. You do not need to force out blades or batteries.

If you cannot find the item on the official website

Search for your municipality's name, "waste sorting" and the item name. Open the municipality's official page or the sorting search linked from it. For Tokyo's 23 wards, include the ward name.

Before relying on a category in search results, check excluded items, how dimensions are measured and whether booking is required. If you are unsure, contact your municipality's waste department with the material, size and any hazards.

Review how to find official rules