1.
non-burnable trash; non-combustible garbage
A waste sorting category in Japan for items that cannot be incinerated, such as metals, ceramics, glass, and certain plastics. Collection days and accepted items vary by municipality.
An essential term for daily life in Japan. Japanese waste sorting (ゴミの分別) is strict and varies by municipality. Residents must separate trash into categories and put each type out on the designated collection day.
Main trash categories
- 燃えるゴミ / 可燃ゴミ: burnable trash (food waste, paper, wood)
- 燃えないゴミ / 不燃ゴミ: non-burnable trash (metal, glass, ceramics)
- 資源ゴミ: recyclable waste (bottles, cans, PET bottles, newspapers)
- 粗大ゴミ: oversized/bulky trash (furniture, appliances)
Common collocations
- 燃えないゴミを出す: to put out non-burnable trash
- 燃えないゴミの日: non-burnable trash collection day
- 燃えないゴミの袋: non-burnable trash bag
Alternate forms
- 不燃ゴミ: non-combustible waste — the more formal equivalent used on official signs and in municipal documents