Japan’s Recycling Success (Part 1): Waste Plastics

Recycling in Japan seems to be a mandatory practice done by everyone. While I was researching for successful case studies on Japan’s recycling campaign, a plethora of information appeared. Amongst all, plastic is recycled most effectively. The country recycled a whopping 2.1 million tons of plastic waste in the year 2006, equivalent to 73% of all plastics collected that year (McCurry, 2011). The government invested a lot on high-tech machineries for resource recovery (see Video below), and their efforts are beginning to pay off. Unwanted plastics such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are converted into plastic pellets that can be woven into fabric (see Diagram 1 and 2). The pellets can also manufacture household items such as boxes, wrappings, cups, trays, lids and caps (McCurry, 2011). These plastic pellets are even sold overseas to China, Thailand and Taiwan (Ministry of the Environment, 2012). 

Diagram 1: Resource Recovery of Waste Plastics (Source: Ministry of the Environment, 2012)

 Diagram 2: Resource Recovery of Waste Plastics (Source: Ministry of the Environment, 2012)

Video: Illustration of Plastic Recycled into Plastic Pellets

Besides making plastic pellets, waste plastics are used in thermal recycling where electricity is generated in the process. This is done at incineration plants whereby hot gas from burning is used to turn a steam turbine (see Diagram 3).

Digram 3: Thermal Recycling of Waste in Incineration Plant (Source: Plastic Waste Management Institute, 2009)

As of year 2001, 210 waste incinerators in Japan are equipped with boilers, generating about 10 million kilowatts of energy per year (refer to Table 1). The potential of generating energy from plastic is promising as plastics have twice the calories of paper waste. As seen in Diagram 4 below, polyethylene has calories that are on par with coal and oil. Incinerating waste plastics thus taps on the hidden stored energy and can reduce the volume of landfill waste.

Table 1: Waste Power Generation in various countries (Source: Plastic Waste Management Institute, 2009)

Diagram 4: Calories of Plastics Compared to other Energy Fuel (Source: Plastic Waste Management Institute, 2009)

It seems like the government is trying to utilize all waste efficiently but the act of burning plastics is more harmful than burying it. When plastics are burnt, harmful gases such as dioxins is released, thereby causing air pollution. In my next post, I will be discussing on this dioxin issue, so stay tuned!

References

Kirby, Peter Wynn. Troubled Natures. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2011. Print.

McCurry, Justin. 'Japan Streets Ahead In Global Plastic Recycling Race'. the Guardian. N.p., 2011. Web. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/dec/29/japan-leads-field-plastic-recycling

Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan,. ‘Solid Waste Management and Recycling Technology of Japan'. N.p., 20012. Web. Retrieved from http://www.env.go.jp/en/recycle/smcs/attach/swmrt.pdf

Plastic Waste Management Institute, ‘An Introduction to Plastic Recycling’. N.p., 2009. Web. Retrieved from https://www.pwmi.or.jp/ei/plastic_recycling_2009.pdf