Environmental Technology/Green Technology May 2002(94)

Environmental Technology/Green Technology May 2002(94)
Plastic Waste Treatment Technology
According to a survey by the Japan Patent Office on trends in patent applications for plastic waste treatment technologies 13230 patents were filed between 1971 and 1999 with Japan accounting for 8330 of these far ahead of other countries. In particular Japan saw an increase in the number of pretreatment technologies through the 1990s followed by solid fuel technologies and solidification/granulation technologies from 1995 to 1996. The number of oil and gasification technologies also increased continuously from 1993 to 1996 and recently the number of pretreatment technologies and blast furnace reduction and coke oven chemical feedstock technologies has been on the rise again.

IT in Waste Treatment Technology
In Japan more patents have been filed for the IT of waste treatment technologies than in any other country especially for technologies aimed at preventing illegal dumping and improving the efficiency of collection operations. Specifically these include technologies for tracking containers and collection vehicles matching supply and demand for recyclables and electronic manifests. Technologies have also been developed to provide information on product structure and materials to treatment and recycling companies.

Contaminated Soil Treatment Technology
In the area of treatment technology for contaminated soil the number of patent applications in Japan the U.S. and Europe are about the same at 1425 1398 and 1530 respectively but there are significant differences in the timing of the applications. In the U.S. and Europe the number of patent applications peaked in the early 1990s and has been on a declining trend since then while in Japan the number of patent applications has increased rapidly since the 1990s particularly markedly in 1999 with approximately 300 applications. In Japan many patents related to heavy metals volatile organic compounds and persistent toxic substances have been filed.

Biodegradable Plastics
Biodegradable plastics are gaining attention as an environmentally friendly material. In Japan biodegradable plastics are being developed as part of eco-materials and their market is expanding. In particular this material with its property of naturally decomposing in soil is expected to be a solution to the waste problem.

Fuel Cell Technology
Fuel cell technology is also attracting attention. In Japan household fuel cell cogeneration systems have been developed that use natural gas as fuel. This technology is expected to be widely used in the future due to its high energy efficiency and low environmental impact.

Activated Carbon Regeneration Process
The Japan Inorganic Chemicals Association has prepared a pamphlet on the activated carbon regeneration process providing information on the process and mechanism of regeneration operations as well as guidelines for safe use. This ensures that used activated carbon is dried cleaned and regenerated efficiently.