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Environmental
Management
Sustainability Report 2006 |
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| Contribution to Environmental Protection through
Products, Technologies and Services (3) |
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| Recycling |
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Pedestrian-Friendly Grating: Amagre Ecosoft |
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Shinko Kenzai, Ltd.
a pioneer in grating products, has developed a new grating material
called Amagre Ecosoft that was developed from the perspective of universal
design.
Conventional metal grating can be inconvenient and even dangerous
for pedestrians, especially the sight impaired. Canes, high heels,
wheelchair wheels and baby stroller wheels can get caught in the interstices,
and the metal surface can be slippery when wet. The Amagre Ecosoft
grating is a water-permeable material made of hybrid rubber chips
(pulverized rubber tire chips combined with a micro-aggregate) for
use in covering openings in asphalt structures. It satisfies three
main design concepts: 1) it has no openings that might impede pedestrian
traffic; 2) it does not become slippery when wet; and 3) it is environmentally
friendly (recycled material, low noise, blends in with surroundings,
comes in different colors). It also complies with the Transportation
Accessibility Improvement Law that went into effect in 2000, making
it an ideal grating material that offers greater safety. |
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Conventional metal grating (left) and Amagre
Ecosoft grating made of hybrid rubber chips (right) |
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Refining Gasoline from Sewage Sludge |
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Kobelco Eco-Solutions,
Co., Ltd. is engaged in a joint project with the city of Kobe to develop
practical facilities that can refine methane gas generated during
the sewage treatment process into a usable gas that is nearly the
same high quality as natural gas.
The company and Kobe began test operations at the Tosui Environmental
Center in Nada Ward, Kobe in November 2004. They succeeded in concentrating
methane gas with a purity higher than 98%, using a high-pressure water
absorption method licensed from an overseas company. This was the
first time that this method has been used in Japan, and it has been
effective in removing impurities and stably refining the methane to
the point where it is almost of the same high quality as natural gas.
Produced by microbes during the sewage cleaning process, the refined
methane has been dubbed "bio-natural gas" and is being used
experimentally as fuel in buses, garbage trucks, and other municipal
vehicles.
In July 2005, the company's bio-natural gas refining equipment and
process were put on display at the 2005 Tokyo Sewage Works Exhibition
held at Tokyo Big Sight. Kobe City also participated by providing
a bus that uses bio-natural gas fuel, which visitors could ride. The
use of this gas not only reduces consumption of fossil fuels, but
is also an effective method for cutting CO2
gas emissions and combating global warming. As such, it is expected
to enjoy widespread use in the coming years.
Kobelco Eco-Solutions has received the Fiscal 2005 Award for Superior
Biomass Use: Prize of the Director of the Rural Development Bureau,
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (sponsored by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Japan Organics
Recycling Association, the Japan Association of Rural Resource Recycling
Solutions (JARUS), and the Biomass Katsuyo Kyogikai (Biomass Utilization
Council). |
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Test-riding a bus that runs on bio-natural
gas. |
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New Lineup of Specialized Machinery for Recycling
Construction Waste Material |
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EarthTechnica Co., Ltd. has made a full model
change of its HIGH-Z Series comprised of four machines designed specifically
for the recycling of construction waste material. In recent years,
many dilapidated buildings are being torn down and replaced, resulting
in an increased volume of waste concrete, asphalt, and other construction
materials. The company developed the EI Series in 2004, but the new
series feature higher performance capabilities to meet the growing
needs of construction waste recycling facilities.
The newly developed machines include the HIGH-Z jaw crusher for primary
crushing operations; the HIGH-Z F vibratory feeder for supplying waste
material; the HIGH-Z B impact crusher for secondary and tertiary crushing;
and the HIGH-Z WAVE screen for separating the material. |
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New Multi Rotor Duo Shredder |
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In 2005, EarthTechnica
Co., Ltd. completed development of a new type of shredder called Multi
Rotor Duo. It's the newest member of the Multi Rotor Series of shredders
designed to process various soft materials such as plastic, paper,
and wood chips. It features three essential design characteristics:
large processing capacity, compact size, and high energy efficiency.
Based on the company's own crushing concept, the structure and specifications
of the Multi Rotor Duo enable the shredder to process three to five
times more material compared with other machines of similar type.
In addition, its improved feed grip makes the use of a pusher unnecessary,
contributing to a more compact body that requires less space. Featuring
greater crushing efficiency and a streamlined design that requires
no power for a pusher, the Multi Rotor Duo delivers high performance
with low energy consumption. |
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Multi Rotor Duo |
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Waste PVC Recycling |
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Kobelco Eco-Solutions,
Co., Ltd. began construction of a waste polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling
plant in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture in March 2005, and the recycling
plant is currently run by Kobelco Vinyloop
East Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Kobelco Eco-Solutions and
Nippon Solvay (a Japanese corporation of Solvay S.A., a Belgium chemical
manufacturer). The joint venture recycles waste PVC - such as used
agricultural materials, construction and interior materials, electric
cables, and water pipes - into regenerated PVC having the same quality
as virgin plastic using the Vinyloop
Process developed by Solvay.
From 26,000 metric tons of waste PVC, 18,000 metric tons of recycled
PVC can be produced annually. The recycling plant has been in operation
since April 2006.
This is the first plant in Japan for recycling waste PVC. The business
received an Eco-Town subsidy from the Ministry of the Environment
and hopes to contribute to the realization of a resource-recycling
society. |
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Business Model
Features of PVC Recycling Process
- Recycles all types of PVC waste into regenerated PVC.
- Can be recycled as 100% pure PVC compound. Chemical composition
can be adjusted by adding plasticizers and additives at the PVC
recycling stage.
- Recycled PVC has the same degree of rigidity, elongation, and
insulation as new PVC.
- Waste PVC can be recycled and used in the same application as
the original PVC material.
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