**Rising demand and challenges for waste management equipment - history from 1999 to the 2020s**.

**Rising demand and challenges for waste management equipment - history from 1999 to the 2020s**.

In 1999, according to an announcement by the Japan Society of Industrial Machinery Manufacturers, orders for environmental equipment in the first half of FY99 were up 3.6% from the previous year to 670.9 billion yen. Among these orders, demand for waste treatment equipment was particularly prominent, rising a substantial 31.5% over the same period of the previous year. This was due to growing interest in waste disposal issues and efforts by local governments to improve disposal capacity. At the time, however, the high cost of developing and installing waste treatment equipment was seen as an issue, and there was a need for technological innovations that would both improve treatment capacity and reduce environmental impact.

**Progress in the 2000s**.
In the 2000s, incineration treatment technology evolved dramatically, and high-temperature incinerators were introduced throughout Japan. This technology attracted attention for its ability to significantly reduce dioxin emissions, and the revision of the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law enacted in 2002 set forth a policy of strengthening cooperation between local governments and private companies, leading to the development of treatment facilities through cooperation between the public and private sectors. In Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward, a low-pollution incineration facility designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. went into operation, improving treatment capacity and reducing environmental impact.

In the late 2000s, the collection and sorting of used home appliances was also strengthened as part of recycling promotion. In Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, a new home appliance recycling plant was built, and SMM introduced technologies to recover rare metals.

**Progress in the 2010s**.
In the 2010s, the formation of a recycling-oriented society took off in earnest as environmental awareness increased. 2011's Great East Japan Earthquake presented the challenge of disposing of large amounts of debris, temporarily spiking the demand for waste treatment facilities. Based on this experience, a disaster waste disposal manual was developed and the response capabilities of each region were strengthened.

Furthermore, waste disposal equipment utilizing AI technology began to spread, and in Hachioji City, Tokyo, automatic sorting machines equipped with artificial intelligence were introduced. This technology has enabled the city to improve the efficiency of waste disposal and reduce the number of personnel. Mitsui Chemicals has established a chemical recycling technology for plastic waste, achieving both a reduction in environmental impact and economic efficiency.

Meanwhile, the Paris Agreement, which took effect in 2015, has raised the issue of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in waste treatment as a new challenge. In Osaka City, a waste treatment facility using renewable energy has been established to improve energy self-sufficiency.

**Current Status in the 2020s**.
In the 2020s, demand for waste treatment equipment continues to increase. Tokyo generates an average of more than 6.5 million tons of waste annually, and Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Hitachi Zosen are developing high-efficiency incinerators and plastic sorting equipment. Under the Law for Promotion of Recycling of Plastic Resources, Nagoya City has installed equipment to process 200,000 tons of plastic waste per year. In Osaka Prefecture, a project to convert food waste into biogas is underway.

The high cost of the equipment remains an issue, and there is a need to expand subsidy programs by the national and local governments. Linkage with renewable energy is also underway, and sustainability of the waste treatment system is being explored.

From 1999 through the 2020s, the market for waste management equipment has continued to evolve toward more efficient waste disposal and reduced environmental impact. Through public-private partnerships and the introduction of new technologies, a sustainable waste management system is being formed.

**Sources**.
- Japan Society of Industrial Machinery Manufacturers (1999)
- Ministry of the Environment's data related to the revision of the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law (2002)
- Material on incineration facility design by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (2000s)
- Sumitomo Metal Mining's report on recycling technology (late 2000s)
- Report related to waste treatment after the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011)
- Mitsui Chemicals' chemical recycling technology development report (2010s)
- Materials related to the Paris Agreement (2015)
- Guidelines for Enforcement of the Act on the Promotion of Recycling of Plastic Resources (2021)
- Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Hitachi Zosen technology development reports (2020s)
- Environmental policy reports of local governments (1999-2020s)