Manure (Act No. 112 of 1999).

Under such circumstances, wide-ranging efforts were made for such projects such as the improvement of composting facilities, along with creating plans for distributing and utilizing compost/rice straw, in order to promote distribution/utilization through strengthening the cooperation between livestock farmers and crop farmers in the cyclical use of livestock manure and rice straw.

In addition, support for improving facilities to reduce sewage sludge and promotion of new technology development had been implemented.

In the Kinki region, the Osaka Phoenix Project was promoted, based on the Law for Bay Area Marine and Environment Consolidation Centers (Act No. 76 of 1981), and disposal sites in Amagasaki, Izumi-Otsu, Kobe and Osaka which was available from October 2009 are accepting wastes discharged from 6 prefectures and 168 municipalities of the Kinki region (As of March 21, 2010).

As a waste treatment countermeasure at ports, subsidies were provided for sea wall construction for landfill sites of 21 ports, during FY 2008. Also, a project to effectively utilize surplus soil generated from construction works in the national capital region cross-jurisdictionally as resources for constructing ports (the so-called “Super Phoenix”) was commenced in FY 1994 in order to promote resource recycling, and in FY 2008, surplus soil generated from construction works were accepted at Hiroshima Port and other areas.

### (7) Preventive measures against and measures to block the spread of illegal dumping, etc. and measures against remained cases

As preventive measures against and measures to block the spread of illegal dumping, etc., the period from May 30 to June 5 has been set as “Nationwide Illegally Dumped Waste Monitoring Week” since fiscal 2007 and the government and prefectural governments, with a strong association, have concurrently implemented efforts toward the eradication of illegal dumping, etc. through the spread activities as well as strictly applying the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law. In addition, information technologies have been utilized, an illegal dumping hotline which directly receives information on illegal dumping, etc. from the public was opened and the responsibility of illegal dumping performers was pursued in the prefectures by dispatching specialists who are familiar with field survey and relevant laws and regulations. Moreover, a model project of preventive measures against and measures to block the spread of illegal dumping, etc., utilizing satellite images has started to further promote the eradication of illegal dumping, etc. since 2009.

Regarding measures against remained cases, the Act on Special Measures concerning Industrial Wastes for illegal dumping, etc. which occurred on and before June 16, 1998 will be expired at the end of fiscal 2012. It is necessary to continuously secure understanding of and cooperation with industries on the support under the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law for the cases of illegal dumping, etc. which occurred on and after June 17, 1998. Therefore, the detailed survey on cases remained nationwide was carried out, and the way of response to all remained cases and the way of financial support for cases having problems with living environment preservation have been examined including extension of the Act on Special Measures concerning Industrial Wastes based on such survey results.

## (8) Other governmental efforts

### A. Promotion of urban redevelopment project

The Council for Promoting Zero-waste Cities in Tokyo Metropolis and the Council for Promoting Zero-waste Cities in the Keihanshin Metropolitan Areas have formulated a medium to long-term plan concerning the achievement of waste reduction targets, development of waste treatment/recycling facilities and the establishment of a reverse physical distribution system, and have been following up on the efforts every year, through means such as checking of the progress and consideration of new tasks, in order to realize the “Reconstruction to Create Zero-Waste Cities in the Metropolitan Areas” promoted as an urban redevelopment project. The Council for Promoting Zero-waste Cities in the Chubu Areas has been working for waste reduction, based on the medium to long-term plan formulated in FY 2006. In FY 2008, The Council for Promoting Zero-waste Cities in Tokyo Metropolis had been working with the aim to reduce the final disposal volume of waste to zero, based on the second medium to long term plan formulated during the previous fiscal year.

### B. Promotion of the zero emission plan

Support was provided for advanced projects to develop recycling-related facilities toward realizing the establishment of a resource-recycling socio-economy in the local area, and Eco Town Plans of 26 regions throughout Japan were approved by the end of March 2010.

### C. Establishment of a reverse physical distribution system to realize a Sound Material-Cycle Society

When considering transportation of wastes, recycled resources and products, it is anticipated that its quantity will increase, along with transport distances, due to the increase in items now subject to recycling and improvements in the recycling rate. Also, owing to the concentrated building of waste/recycling facilities and the formation of bases in the metropolitan areas, it will be necessary to create a distribution system to adequately respond to waste treatment such as additional recycling, implemented by cooperation among bases.

It was also mentioned in the “New Comprehensive Distribution Policy (2005 to 2009)” decided by the Cabinet in November 2005, that it is necessary to promote the construction of an effective reverse physical distribution system ensuring proper treatment and transportation, so as to work toward the establishment of a Sound Material-Cycle Society. Thus, support was provided for the reverse physical distribution project proposed during the Green Logistics Partnership Conference.

In order to realize a Sound Material-Cycle Society, ports that serve as bases for the reverse physical distribution system responding to the location of recycling facilities covering wide areas are specified as “integrated reverse physical distribution recycling hub ports (recycling ports)” (21 ports throughout Japan), and comprehensive support measures are implemented such as the promotion of private-public