electronic information processing organizations instead of the manifest slips. This has accelerated the development and introduction of technologies to make the flow of industrial waste transparent.

In order to prepare a system for the proper treatment of waste and to prevent improper treatment, the revision of 2000 stipulated, among others, (1) a review of the manifest system for industrial waste to secure proper treatment of industrial waste, (2) reinforcement of the scheme to order remedies such as rehabilitation to the original state in case of illegal dumping and (3) the prohibition of any incineration of waste other than incineration according to the waste management standards. Furthermore, the revision made it obligatory for enterprises with business sites that generate large quantities of industrial waste to draw up a plan for reducing the waste and other treatment. In this way, the revision increased the responsibility of waste-emitting enterprises. Waste-emitting enterprises now have to pay the costs for the proper treatment and recycling of their waste, and this has encouraged the development and introduction of technologies related to proper treatment and recycling of waste.

In the revision of 2003, a wide-area treatment approval scheme was newly created on the basis of the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). In this scheme, manufacturers who perform recycling, etc. of waste by conducting waste management in a wide area need not obtain permission for the treatment business if they obtain approval from the Minister of the Environment. Up to now, 169 approvals have been given (65 for general waste and 104 for industrial waste).

The law was revised several more times, promoting the development and introduction of related technologies in a corresponding form.

There are also examples where the rules of the waste management and Public Cleansing Law function in connection with another law. Under the Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources, manufacturers conduct voluntary collection and material recycling of designated material recycling products such as personal computers or small rechargeable batteries on the basis of “judgment standards” defined by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. In relation with this, manufacturers do not need permission for the collection, transport and disposal of waste designated material recycling products in a wide area if they fulfill certain conditions and are designated by the Minister of the Environment through the wide-area treatment approval scheme under the waste management and Public Cleansing Law. This helps promote material recycling.

## (3) Development of various recycling schemes on the basis of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the concept that a producer bears a certain physical and financial responsibility for the proper recycling and disposal of products even after manufactured products have been used and disposed of. It gives incentives to the producers to develop and introduce technologies to develop and produce products that are not easily disposed of, or that are easy to reuse or recycle. Japan played a central role in the discussions on EPR at the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), and now this concept is internationally standardized.

The Basic Law for Establishing the Sound material - cycle Society clearly demands EPR, ruling that enterprises that manufacture and sell products or containers, etc. must control the generation of waste by improving their durability or enhancing the organization for repairs, and that manufacturers must collect and recycle. Apart from this, Japan has set up recycling schemes according to individual product characteristics, such as containers and packaging, home appliances, food, construction material or cars.

## (4) Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources

The Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources came into force in April 2001. It requires enterprises to 1) design eco-friendly products (design lightweight products or products that are easy to dismantle) and 2) reduce and recycle by-products generated in the manufacturing process and independently collect and recycle used products, further accelerating efforts.

Specifically, enterprises that fall under a designated resource-saving industry type (an industry type that should control the generation of by-products and conduct material recycling) must promote the control of the generation of by-products and material recycling according to the “judgment standards” defined by the competent minister. For example, for the automobile manufacturing industry, which is one of the designated resource-saving industry types, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, who is the competent minister, defined “judgment standards” stipulating that manufacturers must systematically prepare equipment necessary to control the generation of scrap metal, etc. and work to improve the following technologies:

- Enhancement of manufacturing methods to improve the manufacturing yield for metal parts and to control the generation of scrap metal in other ways