The Era of Budding Environmental Technology: The Horizon of Technological Innovation Expands from Thermal Recycling to New Energy (1994)

The Era of Budding Environmental Technology: The Horizon of Technological Innovation Expands from Thermal Recycling to New Energy (1994)
The articles in Issue No. 5, December 1994, mark a breath of fresh air in an era when Japan faced head-on the problems of waste, energy, water quality, and production structure it was facing at the time, and sought a way out through technology. A perusal of the magazine reveals that environmental technology was not a one-off event, but was beginning to sprout simultaneously in multiple fields. Reflections on the high-growth period and a focus on a recycling-oriented society intersected in industry, government, and international organizations.

In research to protect water and air quality, water quality assessments using ecosystems as indicators were advanced, and in factories, cogeneration using waste heat and low-NOx combustion methods were proposed, seeking to achieve both energy conservation and air quality preservation. In the agricultural field, plant factories that do not depend on agricultural chemicals were introduced, and new production technologies based on closed systems were beginning to emerge.

Internationally, the OECD predicted market growth for bioremediation using microorganisms and enzymes, which attracted attention as a restoration technology with a lower impact than chemical treatment. ZEON Corporation was trying to integrate recycling and construction by promoting technology to apply recycled resin to landscape materials and repository construction.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government was moving to introduce a product assessment system to institutionalize environmental impact assessment from raw material procurement to disposal. The same issue also featured thermal recycling, in which waste plastics are pyrolyzed and converted into oil, and the recycling concept of turning waste back into resources was moving toward practical application.

The year 1994 was a milestone year in which environmental technology began to emerge as the center of society, and various attempts were being made to draw a picture of the future as a single link in a chain. The year 1994 was a milestone year in which environmental technology began to emerge at the center of society.