Japan to assist others with e-waste recycling

Archiv – The Environment Ministry of Japan plans to help five South East Asian country’s – Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia – to recycle used home electronics appliances.Japan | The Environment Ministry of Japan plans to help five South East Asian country’s – Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia – to recycle used home electronics appliances. The Japanese government will also explore ways to help the countries neutralise toxic materials such as polychlorinated biphenyls, including those produced by hospitals.
The ministry is sending experts to the five countries to gather information on how used goods are being handled so new recycling routes can be established. Preparatory fact-finding work will begin before the next fiscal year starts in March 2008. Equipment collected in the countries will be passed to Japanese companies for processing, according to the ministry’€™s plan.
’These countries lack recycling techniques and have yet to develop systems to collect used equipment from households and corporations,’€™ a government official told the Kyodo news agency. The initiative reflects the Japanese cabinet policy adopted last June to promote international co-operation in the field of recycling.
Smelters and other firms in Japan boast advanced techniques for extracting rare and precious metals such as gold from cell phones and computers. Some observers, including environmental non-government organisations, argue major industrialised countries should assume more responsibility towards discarded products instead of merely aiming to sell more of their goods abroad.
Japan’€™s home appliances recycling law requires manufacturers to recycle cathode ray tube TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines. These are collected from consumers by retailers and manufacturers.