🗑️ Recycling Guide / Trash Separation

Squeezing Food Waste

Squeezing Food Waste (生ごみの水切り - Mizukiri)

Squeezing Food Waste

📖 Meaning & Etiquette

The highly promoted Japanese custom of tightly squeezing all kitchen food scraps to drain water completely before throwing them in the trash bag. It reduces weight and protects the thermal efficiency of city incinerators.

💡 Cultural Background

About 40% of standard household garbage weight is simply water. Wet kitchen scraps cool down trash incinerators, forcing cities to burn massive amounts of heavy fuel oil to keep temperatures up. Squeezing saves fuel.

💬 Useful Conversation Phrases

Before lifting sink nets full of vegetable peels or leftover scraps, press them firmly against the sink wall or squeeze the net directly with your hand to drain all liquid into the pipe.

生ごみを捨てるときは、しっかり水分を絞る(水切りする)ことで、ゴミ袋が軽くなり匂いも防げますよ。 / 焼却炉のエネルギー効率を高めるために、家庭での生ごみの水切りが呼びかけられています。
🔊 When throwing away kitchen waste, squeezing the water out thoroughly makes the trash bag lighter and prevents bad odors. / To improve the energy efficiency of city incinerators, squeezing food waste at home is highly encouraged.

❓ Bilingual Recycling Quiz

What kitchen action is highly eco-friendly to protect the burning efficiency of city incinerators?

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