# Community Support Projects toward a Sound Material-Cycle Society

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The Fundamental Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society requires that the State should support regional model efforts carried out by various bodies such as NPOs and NGOs.

In response to this, the Ministry of the Environment is promoting the development of regional efforts, through publicly seeking approaches toward the establishment of a Sound Material-Cycle Society to be cooperatively carried out by NPOs, NGOs or business operators and the local governments; such should also serve as models for other regions, and be implemented as community support projects toward the realization of a Sound Material-Cycle Society.

In FY 2009, from around Japan, 54 projects were submitted, of which 7 were adopted. The outlines of the adopted projects are as follows:

○ Reuse and Recycling of Waste Bicycles and Promotion of Tourism with a Bicycle Rental Service (Kiritappu Wetland Trust (NPO), Hamanaka, Hokkaido)

Waste bicycles are reused to make up a recycling system.

• A mechanism of take-it-here and leave-it-there bicycle rental service was built by asking for volunteers to support in the town.

• It contributes to the promotion of tourism, e.g., tourists can move with ease and the number of stayers increases.

• Promotion of reusing waste bicycles, segregation of waste bicycles for disposal and implementation of recycling

○ Collection of Drifted Foamed Polystyrene Using Limonene as a Solvent

(Ichida Laboratory, Tohoku University of Community Service and Science in Sakata City, Yamagata)

Salt-adhered drifted foamed polystyrene having a treat-ment problem is soluble in limonene.

• Reaction impact experiment of salt-adhered drifted foamed polystyrene with limonene

• Examination and improvement of problems when solving foamed polystyrene

○ Eco-city Sendai Creating Project in Professional Sports

(Miyagi Environmental Life Out-reach Network in Sendai City, Miyagi)

Aimed at implementation of 3Rs such as garbage generation control in the games of professional sport teams based in Sendai

• Human resource development, e.g., 3Rs learning events, cultivation of eco-station volunteers and information service, and promotion of environment-friendly sports by dividing responsibilities of professional sport team operating companies, the municipality and spectators

• Promotion of reduction, establishment of a recycling system and measures against global warming by using public transportation services

• Spread of the project and enlightenment of people utilizing images, goods, etc.

○ “Establishment of a Sound Material-cycle Society in the Region by Composting All Raw Garbage in Tokyo Metropolis: Collaboration between Citizens, the Government and Plans” (Machida Zero Waste Association (NPO), Machida City, Tokyo)

Aimed at composing all raw garbage generated from all households in Machida City, composting facilities using fallow fields and experimental farms are demonstrated and residents in collective housing are encouraged to participate in this project.

• Expansion and strengthening of groups doing the similar activities, meeting to explain how to expand into collective housing and implementation of questionnaire survey

• Establishment of “Raw Garbage Composting Organization”

• Holding of workshops

☐ Taketori Monogatari – 3Rs Project – (Environment-Education Seminar of Energy in Yokkaichi University, Yokkaichi City, Mie)

Universities, the government (Yokkaichi City), private companies, businesses and citizens are linked by recycling food residues in the region.

• Utilization of feed consisting of bamboo powder, bran, bony parts of fish, vegetable wastes, etc. with degrading enzyme

• Advancement of hog/poultry raising technologies by using recycled materials consisting of bamboo powder and wooden chips with degrading enzyme for flooring of livestock barns

○ Secondhand Clothing Recycling Project Nurtured by Universities, Craftsmen, Shops and the Local Community, Kasadera R Project

(Kandera Monzen Tei, Nagoya City, Aichi)

In partnership with local university students taking fashion designs and craftsmen of local industries, a sustainable circular system is established by recycling secondhand clothing and old clothes as value-added bags and caps/hats with their design abilities and skills and is expanded into a recycling system for other unnecessary items.

• A class of making bags and caps/hats from secondhand clothing is launched for local residents as a university program with a technical assistance from local craftsmen.

• The products are sold at fashion shops in the local shopping street and flea markets as “Kasadera R” brand. In order to enhance the eco-brand image, the products are provided as exchange products of EXPO Eco-money which is the succession business of the Aichi Expo.

Raw Garbage Loop Formation Project Taking Advantage of Okinawa – Establishment of Comprehensive Raw Garbage Circulation System by Food-Circle Hog Raising and Composting (Okinawa Recycling Movement People Association)

Aimed at establishing a complete recycling loop for raw garbage from business activities, raw garbage is processed into feed and pigs raised with the feed are test-marketed.

• Survey on composition of raw garbage from business activities

• Processing raw garbage into feed

• Test marketing of pigs raised with feed made from raw garbage

• Conference with farmers, supermarket owners, the Kuimaru Cooperative Association and persons in charge of the administration