A Town Where Seashells Become Walls: The Recycling of Scallop Shells in Imabetsu Town, Aomori Prefecture (circa 1999–2000s)

In Imabetsu Town, Aomori Prefecture, efforts were made to utilize the large quantities of scallop shells generated after processing—not as waste, but as a local resource. A research group from Hachinohe Institute of Technology and local companies began a joint industry-academia research project on the effective utilization of scallop shells around 1999, and in 2001, they constructed a factory in Imabetsu Town capable of producing 3,000 metric tons of fine scallop shell powder annually. By finely crushing the shells and calcining the powder at different temperatures, materials such as interior finishing materials were developed. One representative product involves dissolving shell-derived powder in water and applying it to walls, giving it the ability to adsorb substances such as formaldehyde. By converting byproducts of the seafood processing industry into building materials, this initiative aimed to simultaneously reduce waste and create new environmental business opportunities. White seashells that had been discarded on the seashore were transformed, through processing and technology, into a material used to build the walls of homes. The case of Imabetsu Town is an initiative that demonstrated the potential of a circular economy by linking the fishing industry, university research, and corporate activities to return dormant local resources to the regional economy.