Eleven days from now, Japan will usher in a new era of recycling. For the first time, consumers will have to foot the bill to recycle and dispose of four major home appliances -- refrigerators, televisions, washing machines and air conditioners.
The government hopes the Home Appliances Recycling Law will prove a major step toward creating a more sustainable society by minimizing garbage while also squeezing the most out of limited landfill space.
But not everyone is upbeat. Some citizens groups, local governments and waste policy pundits fear that the new law will prove a dramatic leap backward.