Yamaichi Shoji runs the whole waste chain: collection, recycling, intermediate treatment and final disposal. It has a strong record of recycling in the construction industry, which produces large amounts of waste.
The company introduced Takanome (car version) because of its concern about "hidden waste": waste that is left without proper treatment, such as inherited abandoned buildings that cannot be demolished and litter in the streets. By collecting littering data with the service, it received positive responses from customers and its drivers became more aware. We asked about why they introduced it and their plans.
1. From Japan's rapid-growth era, when manufacturing ("arterial" industry) came first,we have worked to strengthen "venous" industry
Yamaichi Shoji's philosophy is building a recycling-oriented society. Has this been true since the company was founded?
We have focused on recycling resources since the beginning. About 15 to 20 years ago, a recycling-oriented society began to be seen as important, and we added it to our philosophy.
We were founded in the high-growth era and are now in our 44th year. At that time, Japan focused on manufacturing, and society paid little attention to waste treatment and recycling. Manufacturing is called the arterial industry, and we are called the venous industry. Manufacturing and waste treatment are part of the same blood flow. Everything that is made is thrown away in the end, so the venous side needs to be strengthened. We have felt this since then.
2. "Hidden waste" and Japan's waste problems are pressing. The venous industry needs to raise the issue
While air pollution and climate change get much attention, why do you work on the waste problem in particular?
It has become hard to balance solving environmental problems and keeping a profit, and Japan's waste treatment problems are pressing, so I think working on waste is very meaningful. Also, the venous industry's effort alone is not enough to solve Japan's waste problems. We need to work with the arterial industry that makes products and with the people who use and throw them away. So the venous industry needs to raise the issue first, and as a company in that position, we think it is important to speak up about waste.
What are the waste treatment problems in Japan?
One example is that waste treatment costs have risen sharply in the last few years. Another is the problem of "hidden waste". Treatment costs went up because China restricted waste imports. Until then, Japan exported part of its plastic waste to China and treated it cheaply. When that outlet was gone, Japan could not treat it all at home, and costs jumped.
You mentioned "hidden waste" as the second problem. What is it?
It is unwanted items that were not formally declared as industrial waste and have not been treated. Waste handled by formal procedures at disposal sites, and things that are clearly waste, are "visible waste". Things that are not needed but cannot be dealt with are "hidden waste", such as inherited abandoned buildings that others have no right to deal with, and buildings that cannot be demolished for lack of funds. For example, there is no benefit in paying to demolish an abandoned building, and especially in depopulated areas there is nothing to build afterwards, so these buildings are left standing and lead to more depopulation.
Industrial waste and littering are somewhat different fields. Why did you decide to get involved in littering?
I felt littering sits right between "visible waste" and "hidden waste", and that working on littering would help raise awareness of "hidden waste". Littering is clearly waste, so it is "visible waste". But it is not thrown away through formal procedures, so it is also "hidden waste". That is why I thought it was right in the middle.
3. Giving more people a chance to think about waste through honest reactions
I read the interview with athletes who visited your recycling plant. It is a wonderful initiative.
Our industry generally has a dark image, so we asked a sports team with a bright image to help, by sharing their commitment to learning about the recycling industry. We share their honest reactions, including their surprise at seeing a world they did not know, as people who are not usually involved in waste treatment. We want as many people as possible to know about it, and we want to show the real situation, not just pretty words.
4. More value for customers, and more awareness among drivers
Why did you introduce Takanome (car version)?
I was surprised by the seriousness of Kojima, Pirika's president, and I saw the potential. Governments and volunteers work on littering, but nobody was doing it so eagerly as a business. I felt Takanome (car version) would be very useful. Also, there is a lot of litter at expressway exits, and much of it seems to come from trucks. I think some drivers in our own waste industry also litter without a second thought, so I wanted to make the data clear and use it as a deterrent.
Did customers respond after you introduced Takanome (car version)?
Yes. When we visit customers, we tell them we are collecting littering data on the way with Takanome (car version), and many are interested and happy about it. They seem to like that asking us to handle their waste also contributes to society. I also talk with government staff, and they always say they have no budget. I hope our activities have a good effect, such as encouraging local cleanups and reducing littering.
Did anything change inside the company after introducing Takanome?
We were already detecting sudden starts and similar events with dashcams. With Pirika's device on board, drivers are even more careful to drive in a way that avoids accidents and complaints. We also put Pirika stickers on trucks with Takanome. Since the trucks are now seen as contributing to environmental issues, I think this keeps drivers alert in a good way.
5. Using Takanome data to reduce illegal dumping, and hoping it becomes a system used around the world
What do you expect from Pirika's services in the future?
I hope Takanome (car version) becomes a system used around the world. I look forward to the day Pirika's work spreads to places like Europe, where people are very aware of resource and waste issues. It is truly a global problem.
How would you like to use the data collected with Takanome (car version) in the future?
I want to give the litter distribution data collected by Takanome to local governments in the areas where we work, and build a record of governments taking action based on it to deter illegal dumping. For example, "Based on the data, we put up a sign at this place where there was a lot of illegal dumping."
6. Raising the recycling rate and accepting all waste cannot both be achieved. Solving it needs the arterial industry and users
You have worked on waste treatment for a long time. Is there anything more you want to work on?
Introducing CO2 capture equipment for incinerator exhaust gas, and securing final disposal sites.
In waste treatment, trucks are the main source of CO2, but their power can eventually be switched to electricity or hydrogen, so in the end CO2 from incineration is the bottleneck. With current technology, incineration is still necessary, so we want to introduce CO2 capture equipment for carbon neutrality. We need final disposal sites because today's technology cannot recycle 100% of waste. Our recycling rate last year was 96%. Raising it to 98% is hard to do on our own, so we will actively work with others in our industry and other industries, across boundaries, to build a system that recycles as much as possible. But even as we raise the recycling rate, we must accept that something still has to be buried somewhere, so we also want to secure final disposal sites.
To reduce final disposal without refusing any waste, you need to work not only with your own technology but also with the makers of products.
We need cooperation such as products designed with recycling in mind. Poorly sorted waste cannot be recycled, so the awareness of users also matters. I think the venous industry needs to start by reaching out to the arterial industry and to users. To get many more people to raise these issues, we want to share the data we get with Takanome (car version) with local people, and build together a future where it is put to use.
Interview with athletes who visited Yamaichi Shoji's recycling plant: here (Japanese)
Details of Takanome (car version): here
