Japan to help Southeast Asia with recycling

Archiv – The Japanese Environment Ministry plans to help five Southeast Asian nations recycle used home electronics appliances.Japan | The Environment Ministry of Japan plans to help five Southeast Asian nations recycle used home electronics appliances.
The Japanese government will also explore ways to help neutralize toxic materials such as polychlorinated biphenyl, including those produced by hospitals in Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia, Environment Ministry officials said over the weekend.
The preparatory fact-finding work will begin before the next fiscal year starts in March.
’These countries lack recycling techniques and have yet to develop systems to collect used equipment from households and corporations,’ an official says.
The ministry is sending experts to the countries because relevant data is lacking. The delegation will gather information on how used goods are being dealt with so new routes can be established to collect them for recycling.
The program is in line with a Cabinet policy adopted in June to promote international cooperation in recycling. With climate change certain to be a major topic at next summer’s Group of Eight summit, the government regards the issue as one of particular importance. The summit will be held in Hokkaido.
The old equipment collected from the five countries will be passed over to Japanese companies for processing, according to the ministry plan.
Japanese smelting and other firms have the advanced techniques required to extract rare and precious metals such as gold from cell phones and computers.
’If we collect more used materials from Asia, that should help expand Japan’s recycling business,’ a ministry official said.
Some observers, including environmental nongovernment organizations, however, argue major industrialized countries should assume more responsibility in taking care of 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, which retailers and manufacturers collect from consumers.