Summary
Sapporo City (札幌市) has announced a temporary measure allowing residents to dispose of garbage in clear or semi-clear bags that are not the city’s designated bags, due to a shortage of those designated bags.
Key Points from the Official Notice
- According to Sapporo City’s official notice, purchases of designated garbage bags surged around late May, leading to stock shortages at some retailers.
- According to the official notice, from Monday, June 15 through Wednesday, September 30, residents may use non-designated bags for burnable garbage and non-burnable garbage only.
- According to the official notice, acceptable bags must be 45 liters or smaller and clear or semi-clear (the contents must be visible as a silhouette from outside).
- According to the official notice, the following are not permitted: opaque bags, bags that leak moisture, business-use prepaid designated bags, and designated bags from other municipalities.
- According to the official notice, sorting rules, collection days, and collection frequency remain unchanged. After the temporary measure ends, residents must return to using the city’s designated bags.
What Users Should Check
- When using commercially available clear or semi-clear bags (including supermarket plastic bags) up to 45 liters, confirm that the contents are visible as a silhouette from outside.
- If privacy is a concern, the official notice states that items may be wrapped in paper or colored bags before being placed inside the clear bag — however, wrapping that completely hides the entire bag is not permitted.
- The temporary measure period and end date are subject to change; according to the official notice, any changes will be announced on the city’s official website and other channels.
For the most current and accurate information, always check the official page.
Source
- Sapporo City Official | Temporary Measures Regarding Household Designated Garbage Bags (June 11) (Last checked: 2026-06-18)