Overview of Circulation oriented Society
policies and Eco‐town policies andextensive challenges in Japan and Asia
Masanori Shoji
Manager, Office for Recycling Promotion, Policy Planning Division
Waste Management and Recycling Department, Minister’s Secretariat
Ministry of the Environment

History of the Eco Town Program
1997• Establishment of the Eco Town Program
The Eco Town Program was established in 1997 based on the Zero Emission Concept topromote the development of advanced environmentally‐harmonizing town, thereby
forming an environmentally‐harmonizing socio‐economy in the local community.

1997‐2005• Approval of Eco Town Zones and Financial Support for Construction of Facilities
MoE and METI jointly approved Eco Town Plans created by local governments taking theregion’s local characteristics into consideration. Ministries then provided comprehensive
and multifaceted support to local government and private organizations.

From 2010• Advancement Program for Eco Towns
To address the various problems and challenges that Eco Towns are facing,demonstration projects, considered effective for advancing the Programs, are being
implemented.

From 2014• Program to Create Low‐Carbon Zone that Coexists with Sound Material‐Cycle
Society in Eco Towns
From 2014, we will implement the programs necessary for forming an advanced modelzone that can achieve a sound material‐cycle and lower carbon emissions.

23

1997–2005
Approval of Eco Town Zones and Financial Support
for the Construction of Facilities

Eco Town Zones in Japan

4

Subsidy Program for Construction of Facilities inEco Towns 1997–2005
MoE

METI

Approve

Approve

Eco Town Plan
Cooperate

Hardware projects
InvestLocal enterprises

Software projects
Providesubsidy

Administration

Participate

Citizens

Local governments (prefectures, government‐ordinance‐
designated cities)Tokyo* MoE and METI provided subsidies to hardware projects to FY2005

Kawasaki City,
Kanagawa Pref.
Kitakyushu City,
Fukuoka Pref.

26 zones approved, 62 facilities constructedEco Town Zone ‐ Case 1: (Kawasaki Eco Town)
Manufacturing facility forammonia material from waste
plastics

Manufacturing facility forrecycled cement

5Recycling facility using waste plastics as
reducing agent for iron ore/Manufacturing
facility for concrete frame panel fromwaste plastics/Recycling facility for waste
home appliances

Kawasaki Zero Emission Industrial
Complex
PET to PET recycling facility

Within approx.
1.5 km radius

Facility to recycle hard‐to‐recycle wastepaper

Eco Town Zone ‐ Case 2: (Tokyo Super Eco Town)
Recycling facility for mixed
construction waste

6

PCB waste treatment facility

Reclaimed area
inside Central
Breakwater
Takatoshi Co., Ltd.
Japan Environmental Safety
Corporation
Started operation in Nov. 2005

Started operation in Dec.2004
Recycling facility for mixed
construction waste

Gasification melting power
generation facility

Jonanjima area,
Ota‐kuTokyo Waterfront Recycle
Power K.K.
Started operation in Aug. 2006

Recycle Peer Co., Ltd.
Started operation in Apr. 2005
株式会社リサイクル・ピア
Recycling facility for waste
information equipment
2005年(平成17年)4月稼動

Recycling facility for waste
information equipment

Facility to convert food waste
into feed

Biogas power generation
facility using food waste

Recycling facility for rubble
and mud

Re‐Tem Corporation

K.K. Future Ecology

Alfo Ltd.

Bioenergy K.K.

Seiyu Kogyo K.K.

Started operation in Jul. 2005

Started operation in Apr. 2004

Started operation in Apr.2006

Started operation in Apr. 2006

Started operation in Jul. 2009

Eco Town Zone ‐ Case 3: (Kitakyushu Eco Town)

7

8

From 2010
Advancement Program for Eco Towns

Background to Implementing Advancement Programs for EcoTowns (Problems and Challenges)•Change in the environment surrounding Eco Towns– Reduced urgency of waste problems• Establishment of various recycling laws (urgency reduced concerning
final disposal sites)– Improvement of facilities in response to recycling laws
• Structural changes in domestic industries (transfer of manufacturingbases overseas)– Change in the competition environment due to hollowing out ofindustries• Problems and Challenges of Eco Towns– Low operation rate (shortage of procurement)– Customers are limited (higher standards for recycled materials
demanded by domestic consumers)– Fierce competition from foreign rivals• Direction of Eco Towns in Recent Years– Contribution to the realization of low‐carbon society• Contribution to the realization of low‐carbon society through recycling– Response to new problems concerning waste and recycling• Recycling of small electrical appliances

9Objective of Advancing Eco Towns•Demonstration projects to resolve the problems facing Eco Towns (model projects)– In order to address the various problems and challenges that Eco Towns arefacing, demonstration projects, which can effectively bring about theadvancement of the Programs, are being implemented. Through this process, thepossibility of advancement can be verified.
– Evaluation and verification of the problems and challenges that exist in the Eco
Town Program supply chain, concerning material procurement, treatment
technologies, quality improvement and expansion of sales network.
• Verification of the possibility of material procurement– Finding new suppliers, procuring various materials• Technical verification– Improvement of treatment efficiency, quality, and cost efficiency (ensure quality ofsupplied products meets the demands)• Verification of measures to increase demands– Finding new customers, meeting the needs of the customers concerning quality•

Evaluation of the roles that Eco Towns have played– Conduct qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the roles that Eco Towns haveplayed and their indirect contribution• Environmental burden reduction• Resource recycling within the zones

10Outline of FY2012 Eco Town Advancement Program•11

In FY2012, model projects were implemented in Eco Towns in Akita
Prefecture, Kawasaki City, and Osaka Prefecture.

Model zone

Project objectives

Demonstration tests

Akita Pref.
Eco Town•Recycling of waste plastics •Verification of advanced automatic selection ofwaste plastics derived from small homederived from small home
appliances
appliances•Recycling of small amounts •Verification of efficient selection and recycling
methods of mixed waste plastics from businessof unused waste plastics
activities
from business activities

Kawasaki City
Eco Town•Recycling of small home
appliances•Verification in reducing
burden of present waste
treatment by recycling
small home appliances•Verification of the methods to recover small
metal scrap from small home appliances•Verification of recycling and treatment methods
for small home appliances•Verification of change in characteristics ofburned ash (reduction of heavy metals) in city

Osaka Pref.
Eco Town•Develop new users ofbioethanol•Verification of fuel quality
for new usage (fuel cells)•Verification of usability for fuel cells (qualityevaluation of bioethanol, quality evaluation of
ethanol modification, and verification ofbioethanol production of appropriate quality)

12From 2014
Program to Create Low‐Carbon Zones that Coexist
with a Sound Material‐Cycle Society in Eco Towns

平成25年度予算
Creation of Low Carbon Zones that Coexist with a Sound Material‐Cycle Society in EcoTowns○○百万円

Background and Objectives

Program Outline

z Eco Towns, created based on the Zero Emission
Concept as a basis for establishing the regional
recycling zone, contribute to resource recycling
within the zone. However, they do not contribute tocreating a low carbon zone due to insufficient use ofdistrict heating.
z In order to form an advanced, double‐zero emission
model zone in which recyclable resources are usedand also carbon emissions are reduced, it isnecessary to thoroughly review energy usage in theexisting Eco Towns, construct new facilities, repair
existing facilities and improve and fully utilize
facilities that use district heating, thereby
significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

(1) Support for feasibility study (FY2014)(2) Support for Creating Double‐Zero Emission Plan (FY2014)(3) Support for demonstration tests of energy saving projects,
including software development (from FY2015)(4) Subsidy program for the construction of double‐zero emission
facilities (from FY2015)(5) Subsidy program for repairs to achieve double‐zero emissions inexisting facilities (from FY2015)

Program Scheme
・(1) (2): targeted at private businesses (1/2)
local public bodies (fixed amount)

Heat, energy

Waste, water,
byproduct

Supply volume to/from other industries
in the zone
{Like advanced Eco Towns overseas, EcoTowns in Japan contribute to sound resource
recycling. However, recycling of heat andenergy (mutual supply) is not sufficient (seefigure on the left)(Population of Kawasaki City: 1.4 million,
Kalundborg in Demark: 20,000）{Kalundborg, which is known as the worldcenter of Eco Towns, has established a system
to fully utilize waste, heat, and energy.

Create double‐zero‐emission Eco Towns
in Japan that we canbe proud of by
reducing carbon
emissions!

14

Cooperation between Eco Towns andRegional Recycling Zones

What Is a “Regional Recycling Zone”?
○ To form a sound material‐cycle society, it will be important to establish a cycle ofappropriate scale to match regional characteristics and the nature of the recyclable
resources.
○ The term “regional recycling zone” represents a concept to use recyclable resources
within the zone wherever possible, and, when this is difficult, expand the area ofrecycling to build a multilayered regional recycling network.

Regional
recyclingzone A

Regional
recyclingzone B
Regional
recycling zone C Bloc level Resource recycling atcountry level

Regional recycling zone D
Zone A
Zone B

Zone C Cooperation onmunicipal level Cooperation on
prefectural level

Cross‐zonal treatment system(Inter‐zonal cooperation)
Resource
recycling
within thezone

Community level
Within the zone

“Regional Recycling Zone” Type 1
Satochi‐Satoyama‐Satoumi
Regional Recycling Zone

Flow of recyclable resources• Promotion of recycling within
urban area, agricultural area, andfishing area
• Cooperation between the urban
area and rural area (e.g. foodrecycling loop)

Regional recyclingof biomass

Examples of recycling facilities• Woody biomass utilization facility(facility to make pellets and chips)• Livestock excreta gasification
facility• Fishing waste recycling facility

Wood‐chip
fuel
Agricultural
products
Cooperation
with urban area
Kitchen garbage
from urban area

Cooperation
with arteryindustry cluster

Creation of environmental
businesses and new jobs
• Creation of businesses throughcooperation among urban area,agricultural area, and fishing area
• (Production of high value‐added
agricultural and marine products)• Biomass utilization business• Promotion of primary industry
New environmental activities• Utilization of resources inabandoned bamboo forest, use ofabandoned cultivated land
• Improvement of landscape,revitalization of eco‐tourism andgreen‐tourism, revitalize sight‐
seeing areas

“Regional Recycling Zone” Type 2
Regional Recycling Zone in
Urban and Suburban Areas

Cooperation withagricultural area
Agriculturalproducts
Kitchen garbage
from urban area

Flow of recyclable resources• Promotion of recycling large amounts ofrecyclable resources from urban areas incooperation with the existing infrastructure
and the artery and recycling industrial clusters
in a more effective way
Recycled
products
Cooperation withrecycling industry
cluster

Various recyclable
resources in urban area
Recycled
products

Cooperation withartery industry
cluster

Various recyclable
resources in urban area

Recycled
products

Examples of recycling facilities• Cooperation with recycling industry’s cluster• Facilities making manure or feed from foodwaste• Food waste gasification facility• Facility to sort or use waste plastics to makeindustrial materials (sorting center)• General garbage disposal facility and sewage
treatment plant• Private waste treatment facility
Creation of environmental businessand new jobs
• Joint treatment of general and industrial
waste• Consolidation of waste treatment facilities
operated by local governments (to cutexpenditure)• Cooperation with urban transport and fields
using energy
New environmental activities• Use of Eco Action Point and Ecomark products• Utilization of reusable containers by citizensand NPOs; cooperation/exchange with ruralareas• Revitalizing environmental activities of localcommunities• Promoting procurement of green products• Increasing recyclable resources collection
points, including recycling stations andcollection boxes; improvement in council
services“Regional Recycling Zone” Type 3
Regional Recycling Zoneof Artery Industry
Flow of recyclable resources• Effective use of infrastructureof artery industry: cement andsteel making industry, smeltingindustry, papermaking industry,
chemical industry and power
generation industry• Accept various types of waste
and recycled products as
industrial materials or energy

Wood‐chip
fuel, etc.
Cooperation
with agriculturaland fishing areas
Cooperation
with recycling
industry cluster

Recycled
products
Various recyclable
resources in urban area

Recycled
products
Cooperation
with urban area
Various recyclable
resources in urban area

Examples of recycling
infrastructure• Various manufacturing facilities(as industrial materials)• Various large boilers• Smelting facilities (recoveringrare metals)
Creation of environmental
business and new jobs
• Reflection on product designthat can contribute to 3R• Rare metal recovery business• Cooperation with recycling
industry cluster, including EcoTown
New environmental activities• Promote efforts in achieving zero
emissions“Regional Recycling Zone” Type 4
Regional Recycling in a Sound
Material‐Cycle Industry (Wider Area)
Flow of recyclable resources

Cooperation
with arteryindustry cluster

Recycledproducts• Promotion of use of recyclable resources
cooperating with urban area and artery industry,
focusing on resource recycling system in a wider
area. This is achieved by utilizing the function of
the industrial cluster of the recycling industry,
such as in an Eco Town.
Examples of recycling facilities

Cooperation
with urban area
Base of sound material
cycle industry

Base of sound material
cycle industry

Recycled
products

Cooperation
with urban area
Various recyclable
resources in urban area

Various recyclable
resources in urban area

Various recyclable
resources in urban area

Cooperation
with artery
Various recyclable
industryclusterresources in urban area

Cooperation
with urban area

Base of sound material
cycle industry

Recycled
products• Facilities in Eco Towns• Home appliances and OA equipment recycling
plants, vehicle recycling plants, small electronicequipment recycling plants• Plastic recycling facilities (sorting center, RPF,
PET bottle recycling, etc.)• Recycling facilities of construction waste• Various food recycling facilities (making fertilizer,feed, gas)
Creation of environmental business and new jobs
• Creation of new environmental business utilizing
private sector• Creation of new business concerning theadvanced usage system of waste products (homeappliances, OA equipment, automobiles, etc.)• New business concerning the base for advanced
use of recycled small electronic equipment (pre‐disassembly and treatment)• New business concerning the base for advanced
use of foods and plastics
New environmental activities• Promotion of demonstration projects and researchon new recycling technologies• Enhancement of Eco Town and Biomass Town
programs• Fostering human resources who will form a soundmaterial‐cycle society utilizing the infrastructure ofa recycling industry cluster

20Thank You for Your Kind Attention.