Sleeping Veins, Treasures in the City - September 2025

Sleeping Veins, Treasures in the City - September 2025

There are approximately 30 million end-of-life smartphones and home appliances lying unclaimed in Japan, and they are considered a treasure trove of potential resources, known as "urban mines. They are rich in gold, silver, copper, and rare metals, and are of increasing strategic value, especially cobalt and rare earths, which are needed for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy, as supply and demand are tightening internationally. However, the current recycling system is designed vertically by item, which has hindered efficient resource recovery. Therefore, the creation of a cross-sectional system and collaboration between local governments and the private sector are required. In addition, measures to promote citizen participation, such as the expansion of collection sites by local governments and point rewards, are also being discussed. In the background is Japan's vulnerability due to its dependence on resource imports, and as prices of semiconductors and next-ge
neration battery materials continue to soar, the utilization of domestic resources is an urgent issue from the perspective of security and industrial competitiveness. The spread of the SDGs and the philosophy of a decarbonized society has also led consumers to increasingly re-evaluate waste as a resource. This trend has led to the expansion of the recycling industry, and the related market, including textile recycling, is expected to grow to several hundred billion yen by 2030. Unearthing the veins that lie dormant in cities is directly related to both the formation of a recycling-oriented society and the industrial base of the future.