For the uninitiated, sorting one's waste can be a complicated process in Japan - a country with one of the strictest waste disposal regulations in the world.

But in the city of Fukushima, things are about to get even more difficult.

Starting in March, the city government will go through bags of trash that fall under regulations - such as those that are not properly sorted, or exceed size limits - and in some cases will publicly identify the owners.

The new regulations, approved at a city meeting on Tuesday, come amid Japan's long-running effort to strengthen its waste management system.

While many cities in Japan open garbage bags for inspection, and some allow criminal businesses to be exposed, Fukushima is believed to be the first city to expect the names of both. individuals and businesses to disclose, according to local media.

Last year, Fukushima reported more than 9,000 cases of non-compliant waste.

Currently, instead of collecting garbage that does not comply with disposal regulations, workers usually put stickers on garbage bags informing residents of the violation. Residents would then have to take their trash back inside, rearrange it and hope they get it right the next time collectors come around.

Under Fukushima's new rules, if the trash remains unsorted for a week, city workers can go through it and try to identify the culprits through things like mail. Violators will be given a verbal warning, followed by written counseling, before the final option: publishing their names on the government website.

Amid privacy concerns, Fukushima authorities said the waste would be investigated privately.

Each Japanese city has its own guidelines on how to dispose of garbage. In Fukushima, garbage bags must be placed at collection points every morning by 0830 - but they cannot be left out from the night before.

Different types of waste - separated into combustible, non-combustible, and recyclables - are collected according to different schedules.

For items that exceed the specified dimensions, such as household appliances and furniture, residents must make an appointment for collection separately.

The mayor of Fukushima, Hiroshi Kohata, said the new regulations were intended to encourage waste reduction and proper disposal methods.

"There is nothing illegal about the disclosure of malicious waste generators that do not comply with the regulations and do not follow the instructions and advice of the city," the Mainichi authorities said.

Waste is taken seriously in Japan, where since the 1990s the government has made it a national goal to move away from landfills, reduce waste and promote recycling. Local authorities have introduced their own initiatives in line with this aim.

Residents of Kamikatsu, a Japanese town with an ambitious zero-waste goal, proudly sort their waste into 45 categories. Kagoshima prefecture has made it mandatory for residents to write their names on their garbage bags. And last year the city of Chiba piloted an AI assistant to help residents properly dispose of their trash.