Resources recycling is necessary for the sustainable society in the 21 century. Smelting or refining companies in Japan have treated non-ferrous metal scraps for many years and commenced wastes treatments about three decades ago. Their technologies and facilities are available for treatments of wastes bearing a few of non-ferrous metals because they have many experiences of extracting dilute non-ferrous metals in mineral resources.
Virgin non-ferrous metals and their scraps are used for wires, batteries, platings or secondary raw materials of virgin non-ferrous metals etc.. Recycled non-ferrous metals, i.e. virgin metals refined from scraps account for 10% to 45% of total each new non-ferrous metal refined in Japan. It is estimated that a content of a non-ferrous metal in secondary raw materials treated in smelters depends on a price of the virgin non-ferrous metal.
And, the amount of wastes treatments and non-ferrous metal recoveries from wastes in 2000 increased compared with 1999.
