Japanese cities to end temporary garbage bag rules in September

Ichikawa City in Chiba Prefecture and Ichinomiya City in Aichi Prefecture will end temporary waste disposal measures on August 31, 2026. During the previous period, residents were permitted to use non-designated transparent or semi-transparent bags due to shortages of official city-designated garbage bags.

Starting September 1, 2026, both cities will return to the standard requirement of using official designated garbage bags. In Ichikawa, transparent or semi-transparent bags may only be used as an exception if the designated bags are strictly unavailable through all normal channels, such as local stores or online retailers. In such cases, bags must meet specific criteria, including being 15 to 45 liters and clearly labeled with the type of waste being disposed of.

Both municipalities noted that the supply of designated bags has stabilized as retail inventory has improved. Authorities in both cities have requested that residents refrain from excessive stockpiling to ensure a steady supply for all citizens.