THE JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL WASTE EXPERIENCE: Lessons for rapidly industrializing countries ROGRAMME P NVIRONMENT E ATIONS N NITED U Copyright © United Nations Environment Programme, 2013 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. 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THE JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL WASTE EXPERIENCE: Lessons for rapidly industrializing countries Contents Acknowledgements 3 Acronyms and abbreviations 4 Foreword 6 Executive Summary 7 Chapter 1: Background and Approach 14 Chapter 2: The Japanese experience: Japan’s industrial waste situation in the late 20th century 21 2.1 The national policy framework 34 2.2 The Japanese industrial waste management industry 50 2.3 Japanese industry’s voluntary action plan on the environment 60 2.4 Osaka City’s experience and initiatives 70 2.5 Kitakyushu’s experience and initiatives 78 2.6 Kawasaki’s experience and initiatives 86 Chapter 3: The international context 94 3.1 The waste sector as a contributor to Green Economy objectives 94 3.2 Sustainable waste management in the context of Green Industry 104 Chapter 4: Concluding observations on the potential relevance of Japan’s experience for rapidly industrializing countries 108 Glossary 116 References 124 2 The Japanese industrial waste experience: Lessons for rapidly industrializing countries Acknowledgements Authors: Yuko Sakita (Independent Journalist, Information Center), Hajime Tozaki (Waseda Japan), Masanobu Kimura (Ministry of the University), Koichiro Tsuchihashi (Japanese Environment of Japan), Environmental International Waste Information Center), Naoya Policy Bureau of Keidanren (Japan), Masao Tsukamoto (Ministry of the Environment of Nii (National Federation of Industrial Waste Japan), Katsuhiko Yoshikawa (Urban System Management Associations, Japan), Takashi Integration, Inc., Japan) Arikado (Osaka City, Japan), Hiroshi Tanino (Osaka City, Japan), Reiji Hitsumoto (City of Supervision: Matthew Gubb (UNEP), Surendra Kitakyushu, Japan), Yuichi Kitamura (City of Shrestha (UNEP) Kawasaki, Japan), Shiho Kasamatsu (City of Kawasaki, Japan), Carolin Sanz Noriega (UNEP), Project coordination: Carolin Sanz Noriega Ferda Gelegen (UNIDO) (UNEP), Ryuichi Fukuhara (UNEP) Contributors and reviewers: Yoshiaki Arai Thanks to our IETC and DTIE colleagues, in (Panasonic Corporation, Japan), Ryuichi particular to: Utako Aoike, Ainhoa Carpintero, Fukuhara (UNEP), Takeshi Furutani (UNIDO), Surya Chandak, Garrette Clark, Arab Hoballah, Keishiro Hara (Osaka University), Yoichi Tomoko Ishii, Mushtaq Memon, Solange Kodera (National Institute of Advanced Montillaud-Joyel, Mayumi Morita, Moira Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)), O’Brien-Malone, John Peter Oosterhoff and Masaru Konishi (Panasonic Corporation, Michiko Ota Japan), Yohko Maki (City of Kawasaki, Japan), Makoto Mihara (Global Environment Centre Editor: Tara Cannon Foundation, Japan), Masaru Mizuguchi (City of Kitakyushu, Japan), Masaru Moriya (National Cover photo sources: City of Kawasaki and Federation of Industrial Waste Management Shutterstock Associations, Japan), Shigehiko Nakayama (Panasonic Corporation, Japan), So Nishimura Design/Layout: bounford.com (Urban System Integration, Inc., Japan), Koji Sakakibara (Global Environment Centre The report should be referenced as follows: Foundation, Japan), Maki Sugimori (Global UNEP (2013), The Japanese industrial waste Environment Centre Foundation, Japan), experience: Lessons for rapidly industrializing Noboru Tanikawa (Japanese International Waste countries. Acknowledgements 3 Acronyms and abbreviations 3Rs Reduce, reuse, recycle CO2 Carbon dioxide COP Conference of the parties DLCs Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds EPR Extended producer responsibility GDP Gross domestic product GHG Greenhouse gas(es) IETC International Environmental Technology Centre ISO International Organization for Standardization ITPO Investment and Technology Promotion Office Keidanren Japanese Business Federation (formerly, Japan Federation of Economic Organizations) MBIs Market-based instruments METI Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan MHLW Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan MHW Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan MOE Ministry of the Environment of Japan NOx Nitrogen oxide OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls PDCA Plan, Do, Check, Act PET Polyethylene terephthalate POPs Persistent organic pollutants PPP Polluter pays principle PVC Polyvinyl chloride R&D Research and development RECP Resource efficient and cleaner production Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development SO3 Sulphur trioxide SOx Sulphur oxide UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization 4 The Japanese industrial waste experience: Lessons for rapidly industrializing countries LIST OF JAPANESE WASTE MANAGEMENT LAWS Short title Original title Air Pollution Control Law Air Pollution Control Law Basic Act on Establishing a Sound Basic Act on Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society Material-Cycle Society Basic Environment Act Basic Environment Act Basic Law for Environmental Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control Pollution Control Construction Material Recycling Law Law on Recycling of Construction-related Materials Containers and Packaging Recycling Law Law for the Promotion of Selective Collection and Recycling of Containers and Packaging End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Law Law for the Recycling of End-of-Life Vehicles Factory Effluent Control Law Factory Effluent Control Law Food Waste Recycling Law Law for Promotion of Recycling and Related Activities for the Treatment of Cyclical Food Resources Home Appliance Recycling Law Law for the Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances Law Concerning Special Measures Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins against Dioxins Law for Promotion of Law Concerning the Promotion of Business Activities with Environmental Consideration Environmental Consideration by Specified Corporations, etc. by Facilitating Access to Environmental Information, and Other Measures Law for the Control of Export, Import Law for the Control of Export, Import and Others of and Others of Specified Hazardous Specified Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes Wastes and Other Wastes Law for the Promotion of Effective Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources Utilization of Resources Law on Promoting Green Purchasing Law Concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco- friendly Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities Law on Special Measures Concerning Law on Special Measures Concerning Removal Removal of Environmental Problems of Environmental Problems Caused by Specified Caused by Specified Industrial Wastes Industrial Wastes PCB Special Measures Law Law Concerning Special Measures for Promotion of Proper Treatment of PCB Wastes Public Cleansing Law Public Cleansing Law Sewage Disposal Law Sewage Disposal Law Small Waste Electrical and Electronic Law on Promotion of Recycling of Small Waste Electrical and Equipment Recycling Law Electronic Equipment Smoke and Soot Control Law Law Concerning Controls on the Emission of Smoke and Soot Waste Management Law Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law Acronyms and abbreviations 5 Foreword Many developing countries are experience: Lessons for rapidly industrializing currently experiencing rapid countries, developed with the financial support of industrial growth, the pace of which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, reviews is unprecedented. While this growth and analyses the Japanese case and highlights the has lifted millions out of poverty, it potential relevance for sustainable development has also been accompanied by serious in rapidly industrializing countries. challenges linked to industrial pollution and, in particular, industrial waste. The country’s experience shows that a mix of policies helped it turn challenges into But for some of these problems, we already opportunities. Regulations to hold waste know some of the solutions. This is because generators responsible, voluntary measures the challenges associated with industrial waste for industries, market-based instruments