Toshiaki Shimizu*, Yasoi Yasuda**, Hitoshi Ohya*** and Atsushi Inaba***
* Master's Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba
** Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba
*** National Institute for Resources and Environment

+ Correspondence should be addressed to Toshiaki Shimizu:
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. Distribution Systems Dept. I
(134, Godo-cho, Hodogaya-ku Yokohama 240-8511 Japan)

Abstract
A large number of video-tape-cassettes (videotapes) have been produced in Japan. They will be disposed of, and a new ploblem of waste disposal may occur if videotapes are replaced by other recording media. It might already be necessary to establish a method of processing videotapes. To use materials and parts of videotapes after processing, they must be separated by crushing or disassembly. In this study, six types of videotape processing methods were considered, in which both crushing and disassembly were combined at the different processing stages. Afterwards the volume of CO2 emission and recycle-cost were estimated. The results of this study show that the most environmental friendly and profitable method from the viewpoint of CO2 emission and recycling cost was to crush videotapes directly and to remove materials. If the disassembly time could be reduced less than 53% compared to the present, the CO2 emission volume might be the same as with the crushing method.

Key words: videotapes, crushing, disassembly, LCA, recycle-cost