Innovation of information technology has the potential to greatly change situations surrounding Japan’s recycling-based society endeavor. By improving efficiency and optimization at each stage of the product life cycle, there are possibilities for productivity to be vastly improved while resource input and waste generation could be reduced. Along with this, there would also be possibilities for the promotion of proper processing of waste, reduction of illegal dumping, advancement of recycling, and so on.
　While the first, second, and third industrial revolutions realized and developed a mass-production and mass-consumption society, “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” may provide the impetus for positively reforming this very society of mass-production/mass-consumption itself. This is clearly stated in the draft version of the 4th Basic Plan for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society. In this paper, we describe the changes that innovation of information technology could possibly bring to recycling-based societies and we present current measures being taken regarding innovation of information technology in the fields of 2R (reduce, reuse), recycling, proper disposal (general waste, industrial waste) and waste disposal at disaster sites.

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This article discusses what lies behind the need for utilization of information technologies (IT) and presents examples and analysis of IT utilization that promotes the 3Rs, increases resource efficiency, addresses the labor shortage, and improves the labor environment. The examples of IT utilization for promotion of the 3Rs and increased resource efficiency are discussed from the viewpoint of nine approaches, which include: (1) prevention of product use, (2) sharing of product, (3) reuse of product, (4) long term use of product, (5) reduction of product-use loss, (6) resource saving of product, (7) resource saving of containers and packaging, (8) resource saving in production process, and (9) utilization of secondary resources. Additionally, examples of IT utilization for (10) segregation of waste, and (11) managing the labor shortage and improving labor environments are reviewed. These ideas are, however, only to be thought of as starting points for furthering potential utilization and exploring new business pathways.

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Efficient energy recovery from burnable waste is an important challenge related to the mitigation of climate change. At the same time, the promotion of streamlining labor in the waste sector is also becoming a necessity, due to Japan’s shrinking labor force due to a growing population of aging citizens and a declining birthrate. Under such circumstances, utilization of information technology can provide effective solutions. For example, a promising alternative solution for making energy recovery more sophisticated would be to put the energy from industry waste into use:, i.e. recycled fuel can be utilized as a substitute for fossil fuel and steam from a waste incinerator can be supplied to neighboring factories for a savings of fuel almost double that of waste power generation. In such cases, taking a balance of supply and demand for energy is the key issue to consider and a combination of information technologies and robot technology would simplify this to greatly contribute to streamlining the processes of waste collection and treatment.

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The Low Carbon Working Group (hereinafter referred to as the “Low Carbon WG”), a part of the IoT Council of Waste Management and Recycling, has been focused since FY2017 on information sharing among facilities. It has since proposed to construct the Resource Circulation Data Platform using IoT technology. The WG has planned demo-projects for low carbonization by utilizing competitive funds, which has allowed the Group to launch these projects. A sub-WG was formed within the Low Carbon WG, allowing the Low Carbon WG itself to function as a cradle for forming the demo-project. In addition, a cross-cutting task force, also within the Low Carbon WG, was created in order to construct the Resource Circulation Data Platform through the collection of useful information and an evaluation based on case studies, need-based surveys, and a survey on the manifestation and construction of the system concept.

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There is a need for the waste and recycling industry to improve its productivity due to certain social and economic trends, including the declining population throughout Japan. Technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, etc. can be powerful tools for improving productivity and achieving growth. Recently, the IoT Council of Waste Management and Recycling discussed the promotion of IoT in a collaborative effort between industry, academia, and government. In this paper, we discuss the possible application fields and issues related to installation of these technologies.

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The RICOH group, a leading green company for many years, has been active in promoting a reuse/recycle copy machine that can be collected from customers when it has reached the end of its life. Adding to the efficiency of the product, the company utilizes IoT technologies to monitor each machine and its operation―installation, repair, removal, dismantling and collection. A maintenance history for the entire lifecycle of the machine is also recorded. This data enables an accurate forecast about when the machine is ready to be returned, diagnoses condition of collected machines, and allows for efficient storage planning; all of which lead to stability for production and supply of the recycled machine. This step-by-step report depicts the positive impact this can bring to the entire process.

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The Internet Remote Monitoring System and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for control engineering were used through a continuous improvement operational development process between the years 1990 and 2000 for waste treatment technology. Due to progress in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a result of what is being termed the Fourth Industrial Revolution, operational monitoring technology has been greatly enhanced so that AI can now be utilized toward accumulating big data analysis for monitoring systems, combustion control and operation assistance systems, and maintenance optimization. This is adding value to every area of waste treatment technology. This report introduces the latest efforts being made in this field. It also provides a technical outline of how ICT and AI technology are being used at each of the plant engineering companies that presented in the seminar conducted by the Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management.

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Seven years on since The Great East Japan Earthquake, more large-scale disasters such as a fault line running directly under the capital and The Nankai Trough Earthquake are still causes for great concern. In large-scale disasters, the magnitude of damage can be enormous with the collapse of buildings and other types of damage. As a result, administrative areas such as prefectural and municipal governments have to deal with huge amounts of disaster waste generated over a short period of time. Disaster waste management at the time of a large-scale disaster is considered to be an important response in the early stages of recovery and for overall recovery of the affected areas. In order to smoothly coordinate with disaster waste disposal programs, it is necessary to implement the following: guidance and advice for processing systems, securing a system of cooperation that covers a wide area, securing a system to gather information about damages. Local governments, related government agencies, private enterprise groups, and others will all be required to take part in this collaborative effort. This report introduces examples where ICT has been applied for disaster restoration in disaster waste programs over the past three years in the area struck by The Great East Japan Earthquake.

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