The «RRR (reduce, reuse, recycle)» initiative and its implementation in Japan

This article examines the “RRR” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) initiative, aimed at reducing human waste. Environmental concerns gained widespread popularity in developed countries in the 1960s and 1970s, but today they are also a pressing issue for developing countries. This article analyzes key waste separation measures in Japan, one of the world leaders in recycling and reusing household waste. The research explores the country’s waste collection and recycling system, which consists of three levels: municipalities, businesses, and the public. The author examines the prerequisites and factors that contributed to the successful implementation of the RRR initiative in Japan, the measures of the Government and local authorities, as well as the results of the implemented policies. Emphasis is placed on the widespread culture of waste sorting and recycling that has developed in Japan. The current level of Russian economic development requires compliance with environmental standards not only in production but, above all, in consumption. From this perspective, the Japanese experience can be applied to the Russian context.