specialized in environmental technologies on a broad basis, or the provision of technical guidance to enterprises, including small and medium-sized companies. As efforts of the state to realize secure and safe recycling and disposal of waste, etc., the plan also defines research on the impact of recycling and disposal of waste, etc. on the environment, including evaluation of the hazardousness of waste, etc., as well as the development and dissemination of technologies for proper treatment.

In line with the rules of this law and basic plan, various measures have been taken to support the development of technology contributing to the establishment of a SMS as mentioned below.

### (2) Reinforcement, etc. of the responsibility of waste-emitting enterprises

The Waste management and Public Cleansing Law and its related laws and ordinances have been accelerating the development and introduction of technologies related to the proper treatment of waste by defining standards for the installation of treatment facilities for general waste and industrial waste to ensure proper treatment. In light of the various problems occurring with respect to waste, for example, that the quantity of waste emissions is fluctuating at a high level, that final landfill sites are almost full, that waste incineration generates dioxins, or that illegal dumping is on the increase, the law underwent a number of revisions that led to the development and introduction of new technologies.

The following mentions a few concrete examples: the revision in 1991 imposed the restriction of waste emissions as a purpose of this law, and separation and recycling, etc. as ways for waste management. This accelerated the development and introduction of technologies that contribute to these points. Further, the classification of waste that may inflict harm on human health or the living environment due to hazardous characteristics such as explosiveness, toxicity, infectiousness, etc. as special management waste promoted the development and introduction of technologies for the proper treatment of special management waste.

In the revision of 1997, an exemption scheme was created for the regeneration of certain waste that allows the conduct of treatment business and the installation of facilities without requiring permission provided that an accreditation by the (then) Health and Welfare Minister was obtained. This regulation encouraged the development and introduction of recycling technology. As of present, 122 accreditations (65 for general waste, 57 for industrial waste) have been given on the basis of this regulation, promoting the regeneration of waste rubber tires, waste plastics, waste meat and bone powder, etc. in cement kilns and others. The scope of application of the manifest system for industrial waste was further expanded to all industrial waste, and it is now permitted to use 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 dump-