Voice of the Waste Industry Spinning Dreams - September 1995

Voice of the Waste Industry Spinning Dreams - September 1995

In 1995, the Japanese economy was facing a recession following the bursting of the bubble economy, while urban sewerage system penetration exceeded 50% and environmental regulations were being tightened. With the budding awareness of waste separation and recycling, the waste disposal industry was beginning to attract attention as an "environmental industry" from the background of society. It was against this backdrop that Takateru Shiroki, General Manager of Nikken Sogyo's Development Division, appeared on the scene.

He looks back on the company's history of expanding its business from human waste treatment and growing in response to the development of U.S. military facilities, the Self-Defense Forces, and urban sewage systems during the period of rapid economic growth. He added, "Waste treatment is a stable industry that is sure to be in demand, but it is not enough to just do the job. It is essential to raise the level of the entire company. His words were imbued with a determination to transform the industry from a mere contracting business into one that bears a social mission.

Jogi's motto was "a company where employees can have dreams," and he actively held meetings for young employees to exchange opinions and invited outside lecturers for training. Even during the recession, the company attracted motivated personnel, and furthermore, it devised ways to compensate for the lack of labor onsite by hiring Japanese-Brazilians. These efforts reflect a progressive attitude that goes beyond mere processing operations and overlaps employee education with social responsibility.

Shiroki's words vividly convey the atmosphere of the mid-1990s, when the environmental business was changing from a "stable industry" to a "growth industry.