More Work Needed on WEEE Recycling in Japan

The Japanese newspaper Daily Yomiuri reports that, a year after the enactment of a recycling law governing the disposal of four electrical home appliances, efforts needed to ensure the programme’s success have become clear. The law, under which television sets, air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines must be recycled, came into force on April 1, 2001 According to a report from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, about 7.9 million appliances were collected from April through February.

Analysts said the number of appliances collected each month steadily increased, but illegal dumping of appliances also increased. In addition, many brands of the designated products were not designed with recycling in mind, making the task of disassembling them time-consuming and expensive.

According to an Environment Ministry report on 276 municipalities, dumping of the four appliances increased 18.2 per cent from April 2001 to January 2002, compared with the previous corresponding 10-month period. In particular, the number of illegally dumped television sets jumped 40.4 per cent.

Under the major electrical appliance makers’ standard, consumers have to pay set recycling fees. It costs 3,500 yen to dispose of an air conditioner, 2,700 yen for a television set, 4,600 yen for a refrigerator and 2,400 yen for a washing machine. From next summer at the earliest, it also will be compulsory to recycle personal computers. A bill similar to the law requiring the recycling of automobiles likely will be submitted to the Diet soon for enactment in 2004.

Under the automobile recycling law, consumers will have to pay the cost of recycling their automobile at the time of purchase to avoid illegal dumping. Sources said if the number of the four appliances found illegally dumped does not fall, the government may review the collection of recycling fees.

Another process of disassembling appliances has also been problematic. Many of the appliances that were made before the law was debated are not easy to disassemble. For example, screws and bolts often are set in places that are difficult for workers’ tools to reach. The more difficult it is to disassemble an item, the greater the cost of recycling