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

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

In 1997, Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture became the first city in Japan to be certified as an "Eco-Town," and with the support of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), began efforts to achieve the goal of zero waste. Kawasaki introduced "inverse manufacturing," a reverse process of waste collection, disassembly, reuse, and product manufacturing, to create a system to recycle waste within the community. In particular, Toshiba Corporation and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation are developing technologies to recycle plastics and incinerator ash, and are efficiently recycling household and office waste generated within the region. In addition, up to 50% of the cost of developing recycling-related facilities has been subsidized, strengthening the system toward the goal of zero industrial waste.

In the 2020s, the Eco-Town project is making further progress. Kawasaki City is developing a "Zero Emission Industrial Park" where waste is mutually utilized among companies, promoting a system where companies utilize each other's by-products as resources. 2024 will see the announcement of the "Kawasaki Carbon Neutral Combinat Concept," where JFE Plastics Corporation and others will promote the recycling of waste plastics and CO₂ recycling to form a carbon-circulating industrial complex. JFE Urban Recycle Corporation, which recycles home appliances, is also contributing to the reduction of environmental burdens with its state-of-the-art technologies.

In addition, Kawasaki City has joined the Circular Partners established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2023 to promote the Circular Economy. The city is disseminating information about its initiatives in the waterfront area as the "Kawasaki Circular Design Park" and supporting new business-to-business projects. International collaboration has also progressed, and in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the results of the Eco-Town project have been disseminated overseas. The Kawasaki International Environmental Technology Exhibition has been held, attracting attention from Japan and abroad as a model case for a sustainable society.