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Networking possibilities for waste recycling in Miyagi prefecture, Japan
1Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 1-1 Amemiya Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. miomura@bios.tohoku.ac.jp
Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)
|September 22, 2006
Summary
Waste recycling networks in non-industrial areas of Japan show limited success. Economic viability and environmental benefits were not fully assessed, hindering widespread adoption of recycling technologies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Industrial Ecology
- Waste Management
Background:
- Limited evaluation of waste recycling success in Japan, particularly economic and environmental impacts.
- Need for assessing waste-exchange networks in non-manufacturing regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the usefulness of a waste-exchange network in a non-manufacturing district using a novel system.
- To assess the economic efficiency and environmental effects of selected waste recycling technologies.
Main Methods:
- Development and application of the waste/resource input/output (I/O) coincidence retrieval system (ZENESYS).
- Data collection via questionnaires and interviews from 77 companies in Miyagi prefecture.
- Analysis of potential waste exchange links and evaluation of two specific recycling technologies.
Main Results:
- ZENESYS identified 33 potential waste exchange links, primarily within the construction industry.
- Reclaiming fuel from waste plastic and producing construction materials from bottom ash were evaluated.
- Both technologies showed environmental suitability, but reclaiming fuel from plastic was not profitable.
Conclusions:
- Waste recycling technologies with high environmental and economic performance may be difficult to implement in non-industrial areas.
- Circulating materials among manufacturing industries is challenging despite network existence.
- Transportation and recycling processes consume resources, impacting overall sustainability.
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