Abstract
Biomass, especially that derived from municipal solid waste, is not being utilized to its full potential due to the fact that it is being produced little by little from a wide range of sources, making it difficult to collect and transport. Not only does the use of biomass help to promote a society with an environmentally sound material-cycle, it also promotes the realization of a low-carbon society as it works to curb the effects of greenhouse gases when incorporated as an alternative to fossil fuels.
The Basic Law for Promoting the Utilization of Biomass was approved in June 2009. Prior to this, the Fundamental Law for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society and the Law for Promotion of Recycling and Related Activities for Treatment of Cyclical Food Resources had also enforced. Further goals for the introduction of biomass utilization were set within the Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan against Global Warming.
Other measures supporting the use of biomass include support by central government to local governments in the form of financial subsidies such as the Subsidy for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society and the Subsidy for Countermeasures on Global Warming, Waste Disposal and Treatment Facilities. Moreover, we have done evaluations on the entire waste disposal and treatment system being conducted through the Waste Biomass Promotion Project and we also provide support to scientists and engineers working on this issue through the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research in Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society.
Waste management policies in Japan have been launched in order to dispose of organic waste in a safe and sanitary way. We must also promote the utilization of waste biomass in a manner that is hygienic and environmentally sound.
