Waste Plastic Processing to Expand to Six Times Current Level

Waste Plastic Processing to Expand to Six Times Current Level
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has compiled a forecast of approximately 120,000 tons of waste plastic containers and packaging that companies will be required to recommercialize under the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law starting in April 2000. The estimated amount for FY2000 is about half of the total, but there are areas where blast furnaces are not available, and the recycling of plastic raw materials and chemical raw materials such as ammonia is also expected to increase.
Non-wood paper
Traditionally, wood bulbs have been used as raw materials for paper. The paper industry is actively promoting afforestation and recycling of used paper to conserve forest resources, while non-wood paper made from plants containing cellulose fiber, such as kenaf (an annual grass in the mallow family), bagasse (sugarcane residue), straw, cotton, and flax (flax), is gaining attention as an alternative to wood pulp. Paper made from plants containing cellulose fibers such as straw, cotton, and flax is now in the spotlight.
Of these, kenaf and bagasse are the most widely used in Japan, as they can be mass-produced and are no different in quality from wood. Kenaf can grow to 3 to 5 meters in half a year and absorbs about 5 times more CO2 than trees, which has attracted attention from the viewpoint of global warming mitigation. Kenaf is actively cultivated in Asia, and pulped kenaf is imported to Japan, so increasing imports will help revitalize trade in developing countries.
Kenaf Utilization Technology Research
In Kitakyushu City, the Kitakyushu Techno Center, a third-sector organization, launched the "Kenaf Utilization Technology Research Group" in May 1999, in cooperation with the city government and businesses, to conduct comprehensive research on kenaf cultivation and utilization technology, with the aim of creating a new environmental industry. Three working groups have been organized to study cultivation technology, resource recycling technology, and environmental performance, and experiments are being conducted on kenaf cultivation using fallow rice paddies and industrial land.
Visible Light Reactive Photocatalyst
Osaka Prefecture University has developed an efficient manufacturing method for titanium oxide thin films that react with visible light. Visible light-reactive photocatalysts can be produced by injecting chromium or vanadium ions into titanium dioxide, but this requires large and complicated equipment, making mass production and cost difficult. The new method uses titanium dioxide as the target material and applies the magnetron sputtering method. Under a dilute oxygen atmosphere, titanium dioxide molecules are blown in a magnetic field to form a thin film with a special orientation on the substrate. The ability to form a thin film on almost any material that can withstand a certain amount of heat is a major feature of this method, and it is attracting attention as one that will expand the range of photocatalytic applications.
Eco-friendly electric wires
The market for environmentally friendly electric wire and cable (commonly known as "eco electric wire"), which does not generate hazardous substances when disposed of and is highly recyclable, is rapidly expanding. PVC has been the mainstream wire coating material in the past, but halogen substances such as bromine and chlorine contained in flame retardants cause dioxin formation when incinerated, and heavy metals such as lead and cadmium leach into the soil and cause environmental pollution. Therefore, wire and cable manufacturers introduced eco-friendly wires one after another to the market around the beginning of 1998, and now there is no wire and cable manufacturer that has not developed eco-friendly wires.
The standard for eco-friendly electric wires was established in 1998 by the Japan Electric Wire & Cable Makers' Association (JCMA), and under the initiative of the Ministry of Construction, the standard began to take off around the fall of 1998, mainly in the public sector, with general contractors beginning to adopt it on a trial basis for private demand as well. In addition, although the standards currently cover only seven items for industrial use, it is expected that coaxial cables, communication cables, and other major products will be standardized by the fall of 1999, and some manufacturers are switching from build-to-order to stock production in order to meet future increases in demand, aiming for immediate delivery and lower prices through mass production.
In January 1998, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. pioneered the industry with its "Ecology & Recycable Cable," a general-purpose wire cable. By unifying the coating material with bori Olefin resin, the company eliminated the need for resin separation, thereby enhancing recyclability. In May 1998, we established the "Electric Wire Eco Project" to promote green procurement and curb the generation of hazardous gases. In May 1998, the company established the "Electric Wire Eco Project" and has been promoting product development focusing on green procurement, suppression of harmful gas emissions, and improvement of recyclability, and orders in fiscal 1998 exceeded 1 billion yen. The company plans to switch to lead- and halogen-free products by the end of September, and expects sales of industrial wires alone to be around 6 billion yen in FY99.
The Home Appliance Industry, which is under pressure to recycle wires due to the Home Appliance Recycling Law, is also showing a high level of interest in eco-friendly wires. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is the first home appliance manufacturer to develop eco-friendly electric wires, and plans to put them to practical use in the fall of 1999.
Although no clear figures on the size of the eco-friendly electric wire market are available at this time, it is estimated to be in the billions of yen, based on the track record of various companies. According to the Japan Electric Wire & Cable Makers' Association, the total market for electric wires and cables was 1.12 trillion yen in terms of shipment value in FY1998, and eco-friendly electric wires account for less than 1% of that figure.