Abstract
Most of the natural metal resources supporting manufacturing in Japan are imported from foreign countries. In recent years, the need for a stable supply is an ongoing serious issue in the face of sudden price rises or export regulations. Urban mining is a promising way of using domestic resources to minimize this risk. However, because the degree of integration of metals, including rare metals, in products is not necessarily high, the use of a physical separation technology that can concentrate such metals and save costs is indispensable. Moreover, because we lack experience in recovering some types of individual rare metal elements from waste products, innovative separation technologies are needed. In this report, I introduce ways of achieving rare metal recycling through innovations in physical separation. I also present a plan for "strategic urban mining" that has physical separation technology at its core and is aimed at domestic circulation of metal resources.
