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Recycle Mine Bark Project - June 1995 In 1995, the Japan Mining Association launched the "Recycle Mine Bark Project." This initiative aims to efficiently reuse discarded home appliances and industrial waste by utilizing closed mines, such as the Osarizawa Mine in Aomori Prefecture and the Kosaka Mine in Akita Prefecture, as recycling hubs. Major companies like Mitsui Mining & Smelting and Sumitomo Metal Mining participate, utilizing refining technologies to recover precious metals such as copper, aluminum, iron, and gold from thousands of tons of waste annually. For example, approximately 20,000 tons of copper and 10,000 tons of aluminum are recovered and recycled annually from refrigerators and televisions. Furthermore, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment, waste collection is being advanced nationwide, with hundreds of thousands of tons of industrial waste being reused annually across Japan. This initiative is gaining attention both domestically and internati
onally as a model for sustainable resource management.