Tokyo considers ordinance banning littering as downtown trash worsens

TOKYO – The Tokyo metropolitan government is considering an ordinance banning littering, as trash left in downtown entertainment districts has increased with the rise in tourists following the Covid-19 pandemic, government sources said on Sept 17.While Shibuya and Shinjuku wards already have such ordinances in place, rules at the metropolitan level would prevent disparities in regulations and enable a coordinated response across a wider area.Moving forward, the metropolitan government plans to discuss whether to impose administrative fines and what obligations to put on food and beverage sellers and container manufacturers, according to the sources.Trash left behind after barbecues along riverbanks has also become a problem in Tokyo. The government will consider what waste and behaviour to regulate and whether to designate priority areas.Shibuya Ward revised its ordinance in June to change the penalty for littering from a criminal fine requiring legal procedures to a 2,000-yen (S$16.60) administrative fine that is easier to collect.As of the end of August, 963 cases resulted in administrative fines, according to the ward.The revised ordinance also requires vending machine operators and certain food and beverage sellers to install collection containers or trash bins for plastic bottles and other waste, with penalties for violations.Shinjuku Ward will enforce a revised ordinance from October that adds food containers and disposable wooden chopsticks to prohibited litter, which already covers bottles, cigarette butts, gum and paper scraps. KYODO NEWS