Databook on Waste Management in the Republic of Korea and Japan
Release date: June 08, 2026
1. Overview
Japan and the Republic of Korea are geographically close and share common challenges in the field of resource circulation and waste management; however, differences in statistical frameworks and definitions have made it difficult to directly compare statistical figures between the two countries. To address this issue, the Material Cycles Division of the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) collaborated with the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) of the Republic of Korea to compile the “Databook on Waste Management in the Republic of Korea and Japan.” This online data book reorganizes existing published statistics and publicly available materials into a format that enables cross-country comparison.
For Japan, the data book uses statistical data published by ministries such as the Ministry of the Environment as well as data released by industry associations. For the Republic of Korea, it is based on publicly available materials from government bodies, public institutions, and related organizations. We hope that this online data book will contribute to understanding the current situation of waste management in Japan and the Republic of Korea, supporting policymaking, facilitating international comparative studies, and promoting research collaboration. In the future, the possibility of data linkage with countries and regions beyond Japan and the Republic of Korea will also be explored.
Online data book
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2. About the dataset
| Data items covered by the database |
|
|---|---|
| Target countries | Japan, Republic of Korea |
| Number of statistics | 15 |
| Update history | [2026/05] Databook created. |
3. Description
| Creator |
|
|---|---|
| Release date (YYY/MM/DD) |
2026/06/08 |
| Issuing organizations | National Institute for Environmental Studies National Institute of Environmental Research |
| Version | Ver.1 |
| Language | English |
4. Terms and Conditions of Use
| General note | By accessing or using the Service you agree to follow these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the Terms, you may not access the Service. The creators of this online data book (hereinafter "this Data Book"; collectively, “the Creators”) agrees to the use of this Data Book by person(s) wishing to use this Data Book (hereinafter "User") as stipulated in the Terms and Conditions below. |
|---|---|
| Scope of consent | The User may re-distribute this Data Book to third parties without modifying its contents, and may also develop and publish new intellectual products (hereinafter "Products") based on this Data Book. |
| Conditions for distribution | The User shall not accept any compensation for the re-distribution of this Data Book to third parties. In the event that the User re-distributes this Data Book to third parties, the same Terms and Conditions apply also to the redistributed version of the Data Book. When the User re-distributes this Data Book to third parties, the User is obliged to inform the third parties about the URL of the original distribution source, the Terms and Conditions of Use, and the fact that this Data Book is continuously updated by the Creators. |
| Use of the latest version | Unless special reason exists, the User shall use the latest version of this Data Book. |
| Citation policy | The data provided by this Data Book have been compiled from different sources. Users are requested to refer to the original sources and to properly indicate them in addition to mentioning the usage of this Data Book when quoting the data and publishing any Products based on this Data Book. However, the Creators may request the User to delete the citation from the Product. In that case, the User shall comply with the request within reasonable extent. If this Data Book has an important part in the User's Product, the User must contact the Creators concerning co-authorship before publication. Citing this Data Book as described below and acknowledging the Creators are enough when these data play a minor role in the User's Product. |
| Citation format |
When this Data Book is referred to in publications, it should be cited in the following format.
|
| Utilization reporting | Re-distribution of this Data Book or release of Products derived from this Data Book, shall be reported to the Contact Person without delay. |
| Error reporting | Any error in this Data Book, or the suspicion thereof, should be immediately reported to the Contact Person. |
| Disclaimer | The Creators and the Issuing organizations shall not have any liability or responsibility whatsoever for any damage that may arise from the use of this Data Book, and the User must not imply that any guarantee is provided by the Creators or the Issuing organizations. Users shall bear full responsibility for any and all damages arising from the use of this Data Book, regardless of the nature of such damages. |
5. Contact
- Kosuke KAWAI
- Chief Senior Researcher
Material Cycles Division
National Institute for Environmental Studies - Email: kawai.kosuke[at]nies.go.jp
* Please send any queries and suggestions to the email address above. As this database is a working draft version, your suggestions and comments on how to improve the database will be highly appreciated. If the question is about specific data, users are requested to refer to the original source materials.
* Please change [at] to "@" if you contact.
