Summary
Shinjuku Ward has changed how “product plastics” (製品プラスチック) are sorted starting April 2024. Items that were previously collected as burnable garbage are now collected together with packaging plastics as recyclables.
Key Points from the Official Notice
- According to Shinjuku Ward’s official notice, starting April 2024, “product plastics” that were previously collected as burnable garbage are now collected and recycled together with “packaging plastics” (容器包装プラスチック).
- According to the official notice, both categories have been consolidated under the new name “resource plastics” (資源プラスチック).
- According to the official notice, “product plastics” are defined as items made entirely of a single plastic material and measuring roughly 30 cm or less on each side. Examples include buckets, rulers, hangers, flowerpots, toothbrushes, clear files, and toys.
- According to the official notice, the correct disposal method is to place both packaging plastics and product plastics together in one bag and put them out at your designated collection point on the weekly recyclables collection day. The collection day itself has not changed.
- According to the official notice, an educational video explaining the new sorting rules in detail has been published on the ward’s official YouTube channel (full version approx. 12 minutes; short version approx. 6 minutes).
What Users Should Check
- Check the official page’s item examples to confirm whether your plastic items qualify as “single-material and 30 cm or smaller”
- Confirm your household’s recyclables collection day and put out product plastics together with packaging plastics on that day
- Watch the ward’s official YouTube educational video for a visual walkthrough of the new sorting and disposal methods
For the most current and accurate information, always check the official page.
Source
- Shinjuku Ward Official | Plastic sorting rules changed starting April 2024 (last checked: 2026-06-03)