Sendai City Promotes Organic-Waste-for-Fresh-Vegetables Exchange

The exchange of organic waste for fresh vegetables has started on a trial basis at morning markets in Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan. Under the system, when a consumer brings organic waste that has been dried and compressed by organic waste compactors to one of five vegetable markets in the city, each kilogram will be exchanged for 100 yen (about U.S. 91 cents) worth of fresh vegetables. The material collected at the markets is then used by farmers for growing vegetables.

The Sendai Environmental Forum 2001, held in 2001, was the inspiration for this initiative. In 2001, an environmental and community experiment in garbage recycling started in the city's Taihaku Ward. In 2002, the Sendai Recycled Vegetable Network, a non-profit organization, took over the project and started the garbage-for-vegetables exchange at markets in Aoba Ward.

The city has been providing subsidies for households to purchase organic waste compactors, but about 10 percent of respondents to a 2003 survey complained that there were not enough places that could use the compressed waste and that they wanted the city to get involved in collection. In order to improve the system to utilize the compressed waste, as well as to continue promoting the use of the compactors, the garbage-for-vegetables exchange was expanded to all wards of the city in 2004.

Through this system, farmers are more closely linked with consumers. In addition, consumers appreciate the fact that resources are not wasted and the fact that they can receive fresh vegetables for their efforts.



Posted: 2005/08/18 06:30:13 AM
Japanese version