Hajime Oshitani

Rissho University, Junior College
(1700 Mankichi, Kumagaya-shi, Saitama 360-01 Japan)

Abstract

The object of this paper is to summarize the prospected role of waste management and recycling activities for the future. We are currently facing some difficulty in appropriately securing a final disposal site. Human activity, the production and consumption of goods is discharging huge amounts of waste which contain various hazardous materials. We therefore have to establish an artificial resource circulation system to replace natures' self-cleaning system. We also have to more efficiently conserve limited natural resources and energy to achieve "Sustainable Development." A Resource-Circulation Society, based on wide-ranging recycling activities, must be created. Some recycling activities are not economical feasibility in Japan due to the cheaper price of raw materials or high cost of processing, etc. Legislative formulations have recently been changed to promote recycling activities. I would like to emphasize the role of enterprises and industries which are producing products and utilizing secondary materials from recycling. Consequently, there is no need to divide these into industrial waste and municipal waste, and wastes from industrial activities are treated and disposed of by municipalities right along with household waste. We have to realize that all wastes can be utilized as resources or energy, and that industry must therefore share in the recycling cost. Moreover, we have to discuss the possibilities of changing our overconsuming lifestyles which are continuously discharging huge amounts of waste.

Key words: proper role in industry, liability, lifestyle, recycling