Draft legislation aimed at reducing waste, encouraging recycling and realizing a more sustainable society was unveiled Friday by the Environment Agency. The draft calls for a comprehensive law that details the responsibilities of government, industry and citizens -- including producers of goods and waste -- with the aim of building a more sustainable society. It also puts emphasis on the importance of waste and recycling policies as a means to achieve this end and categorizes them by priority. Policies that reduce the amount of materials used will be given top priority, followed by those that encourage reuse of products and recycling, with disposal only carried out when absolutely necessary. The draft says the new legislation, which is designed to ease the burden of economic and social activity on the environment, will also coordinate related waste and recycling laws. The law has tentatively been named the "cyclical society law." Under the draft, a basic plan to encourage a more environmentally sustainable society would be created and revised annually, agency officials said. The Liberal Democratic Party approved the draft Friday morning, and will debate the issue with other parties in the near future.
