Electronic waste in Japan is a major environmental issue. Although Japan was one of the first countries to implement an electronic waste recycling program, it is still having serious issues. In this day and age, e-waste disposal has become of major importance due to the increasing demand for electronics on a worldwide scale. In 2013, the Japanese government reported that roughly of e-waste was collected and treated in Japan, which only equates to about 24-30% of total e-waste. Not only does e-waste harm the environment if untreated, it also becomes a fiscal loss due to the material lost that could have been salvaged. Much of Japan's e-waste is actually exported to neighboring countries. By developing new recycling initiatives, Japan can turn trash into treasure and help the environment at the same time. These recycling initiatives are important because handling e-waste is not an easy process, or a safe one. Over the years, Japan has been working to develop safe and efficient waste management programs to handle this e-waste. Despite these efforts, there have still been serious problems surrounding the environmental and health issues regarding e-waste in Japan. E-waste processing Sources of E-waste Japan has quickly become one of the most wasteful nations in the world according to Basel Action Network's executive director Jim Puckett. As the country continues to progressively manufacture and consume more electronic goods, the e-waste generated from these goods grows as well. Japan ranks as the third most wasteful country in the world by volume behind the United States and China. Wastes are broadly divided into three different categories that consist of industrials, non-industrials, and hazardous. E-waste falls into the category of non-industrial wastes and is recognized as "electrical and electronic wastes," or "bulky trash". Some e-waste sources include refrigerators, televisions, air conditioning units, and washing machines. Treatment The Association for Electric Home Appliances developed the home appliance recycling ticket system which is the foundation of e-waste recycling and treatment. This ticketing system was installed to ensure that relevant parties would forward smoother home appliance recycling activities under the Law for the Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances (LRHA). Although it is one system, it comes in two types. The first type requires consumers to pay recycling and transportation fees to the retailer and the second type requires them to pay recycling fees through postal transfer. The cost of transportation as well as the recycling of