Republic of China agreed on China-Japan cooperation in building sound material-cycle cities starting in 2007. The two countries have been cooperating in the field of recycling.

In 2009, a cooperative project between Ibaraki Prefecture and Tianjin City began for establishing a resource recycling economy in the Binhai New Area, which centers mainly in the Tianjin Economical-Technological Development Area (TEDA). In June 2010, a memorandum on environmental cooperation was concluded by the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture and the mayor of Tianjin. The project moved forward thanks to a solid cooperative relationship between the two local governments. Specifically, a pre-feasibility study for a waste management model project in the Binhai New Area (mainly in TEDA), a material flow study for waste and recycling in TEDA, and training for government and corporate personnel in Tianjin City and the Binhai New Area were conducted.

In light of the fact that “sludge treatment” was highlighted in the 12th five-year plan, as a waste treatment model project a plan was made to build a facility for treating sludge generated from facilities that treat polluted water. The material flow study found that in order to further promote proper treatment and recycling of waste it is necessary to tackle certain issues such as establishing a system to manage the recycling and waste flow and enhancing the awareness and technologies of companies concerning resource conservation and recycling.

Based on these studies and proposals, assistance will be provided for the establishment of systems and training of people to promote proper management and recycling of waste, feasibility studies for the construction of sludge treatment facilities will be made, and business-matching with recycling companies mainly in Ibaraki Prefecture will be conducted, and cooperation and support will be provided to help build a resource recycling economy in the Binhai New Area.

## Cooperative project for sound material-cycle cities (Ibaraki Prefecture and Tianjin City)

### 1 Creation of a pre-FS report for a model project (facility for managing hazardous waste, etc.)

• Surplus sludge emitted from a final sewage treatment facility selected as the target

• On-site investigation of the state of management and the state of sludge generation at the final sewage treatment facility

• Review of methods of treating hazardous waste

• Proposal of candidates for the process for treating hazardous waste

## 2 Proposal of a model design and implementation plan to activate a low-carbon economy promotion center

• On-site investigation of the material flow of the top 100 companies in terms of emissions of industrial waste in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA)

• Assessment of policies and functions of a low-carbon economy promotion center (comparison with Ibaraki Prefecture)

• Proposal of three policies and implementation plans, with the objective of CO₂ reduction utilizing recycling, based on a principle of improving the “regional resource cycle” in the TEDA district

## Study and training visit to Ibaraki Prefecture

In January 2011 (for one week), seven government officials and ten company-related people from Tianjin City came to Ibaraki Prefecture and attended lectures and visited facilities for treating waste and discharged water (in Kashima, Kasama, and Kasumigaura).

## China-Japan joint workshops

In November 2010 (Tianjin City) and January 2011 (Ibaraki Prefecture) committee members from the Japan side and the China side exchanged opinions about the progress of environmental cooperation.

## (3) Regional Community Power to Convey to the Rest of Asia

In aiming for a sound material-cycle society, it is important for every citizen to respect nature, to adopt the mottainai mindset of trying not to waste finite resources, and to proactively engage in 3R activities. Solving the problems of waste and forming a sound material-cycle society cannot be easily achieved by simply relying on technology. Waste and recycling are related to everyone and it is essential for each individual to understand the 3Rs, practice them, and participate in them through everyday activities. Local governments have greatly contributed to solving waste problems in Japan, and a sound material-cycle society can likewise be built through collaboration among regional communities, citizen activities, social systems, and technology. It is important to spread to other countries the message about the power of regional communities, in order to establish sound material-cycle societies worldwide.