Kawasaki Eco-Town Project History and Current Status - From 1997 to the 2020s

Kawasaki Eco-Town Project History and Current Status - From 1997 to the 2020s

In 1997, Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture was recognized as Japan's first "Eco-Town" and began a waste-free initiative with support from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Kawasaki City introduced a reverse engineering approach called "Inverse Manufacturing" that includes waste collection, separation, recycling, and product production to establish a circular waste system within the region. Companies like Toshiba and Mitsubishi Chemical have advanced technologies to recycle plastic and incinerated ash, facilitating efficient recycling of household and business waste generated within the area. Additionally, up to 50% of the costs for setting up recycling-related facilities are subsidized, bolstering the structure toward the goal of zero industrial waste.

In the 2020s, the Eco-Town Project has continued to make further progress. Kawasaki City has established a "Zero Emissions Industrial Complex" that promotes mutual utilization of waste between companies, allowing them to use byproducts as resources to reduce waste. In 2024, Kawasaki announced the "Kawasaki Carbon Neutral Complex Initiative," where companies like JFE Plastic Resources Corporation work on plastic waste and CO₂ recycling to create a carbon-circular complex. JFE Urban Recycle Corporation, which handles appliance recycling, also contributes to reducing environmental impact with the latest technologies.

In 2023, Kawasaki joined the "Circular Partners" partnership established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, promoting a circular economy. The project in the coastal area, named "Kawasaki Circular Design Park," actively shares information, supporting new inter-company projects. International collaborations are also progressing, with Kawasaki working with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to share the achievements of the Eco-Town Project abroad. Kawasaki hosts the Kawasaki International Eco-Tech Fair, attracting attention as a model case for a sustainable society both domestically and internationally.