How to recycle small electrical appliances in Japan

Today, and June 9th annually, is Small Electrical Appliance Recycling Day 小型家電リサイクルの日 in Japan. It is an anniversary created by the Small Electrical Appliance Recycling Association to promote proper recycling of everyday devices. The date comes from two ideas: June is Japan’s national Environment Month, and the numbers 6‑9 echo the word muku, meaning “pure,” symbolizing a return to raw materials through recycling. In addition, the numbers 6 and 9 also suggest a circular motion, reinforcing the idea of resource circulation.

For residents in Japan, disposing of small electrical appliances can feel confusing, overwhelming even. But the rules are clearer once you know the basics. Under the Small Appliance Recycling Act, enforced since 2013, items such as phones, cameras, rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, game consoles, shavers, and printers should be collected and recycled under proper management rather than thrown away as burnable or non‑burnable trash. These devices contain valuable metals, such as iron, aluminum, copper, precious metals, and rare metals.

To dispose of them correctly, most municipalities provide collection boxes, designated drop‑off points, or scheduled pick‑ups. You can check with your local municipality to see where and when you can dispose of your small electrical appliances for recycling. Or you can do what the person who owns the small private display room pictured did - hold on to them and turn them into a museum display! Large appliances like TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners follow the separate Home Appliance Recycling Law and cannot be placed in small‑appliance recycling streams.