Everything is Burnable

by Kensatsukan Gaijin

A quick word on trash, packaging, and this insane place.

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First, the Japanese pride themselves on being green.

Second, they wrap EVERYTHING in 12 layers of plastic.

These band-aids had a package. Then each band-aid had a smaller package. Once you opened it, the band-aid itself had a protective layer of packaging that was only used so you can put the band-aid on without touching it. Then, once you've applied it, you remove that packaging so that you can now remove the last pieces of band-aid packaging (the little strips we always use), and bang - you are now carrying a handful of trash instead of thinking about your feet bleeding.

But here's the thing. There are no trashcans here. I walked for over 7 hours yesterday and found 2 trashcans. You wouldn't know it, of course, because there is absolutely NO TRASH on the streets. I guess everyone just carries it. Maybe that's why all the men carry purses.

Anyway, so here we have trash out the wazoo, and the Japanese are crazy about their trash, so you have to separate your trash into 3 categories that I do not understand at all: burnable, recylable plastic, and robot, I think. I have no idea what's "burnable," so I'm not throwing anything out. If you really ask yourself "could I burn this?" long enough you start asking alot of questions about yourself you don't want the answers to.