The Machi Clean Group handles industrial waste in Okinawa Prefecture, from collection and transport to final disposal, with recycling as the starting point. The company aims to build an "Okinawa-style circular society." We spoke with Oshiro of the Environment Department and Miyazato of the Public Relations Section about what this means and what they aim for through their environmental work.

1. Turning waste into resources

— What is an Okinawa-style circular society?

We sort waste carefully. We reuse it or turn it into auxiliary fuel. We recycle as much as we can. About 90% goes to recycling instead of landfill*.

Okinawa is an island, so we feel strongly that waste made in the prefecture should be treated in the prefecture. Treating it elsewhere means shipping it by boat, which emits more CO2, the very thing we need to cut. For sorting, we assign a person to each material and separate waste in detail. Working with local companies, we aim to treat all waste inside Okinawa.

*Landfill (for inert waste)
A site where waste that is hard to reuse or recycle is finally disposed of under Japan's Waste Management Act.

— Why did you start working for the local community?

Our business is only possible with the understanding of local people. It started naturally, maybe more than ten years ago. Because we have an intermediate treatment facility* and a landfill, collection trucks, including large trailers, often pass through the area. We clean the streets and clear away waste, plants and soil after typhoons, hoping to make life a little easier for local people.

*Intermediate treatment facility (recycling plant)
A facility that crushes, burns, dewaters, solidifies or sorts collected waste to reduce its volume or make it ready for recycling.

2. Environmental action as a way to watch over the community

— What do sustainability activities like the SDGs and CSR mean for your employees?

We have done volunteer cleanups since before the word "SDGs" existed, and our employees know these activities are part of sustainability. We also teach children about sorting and recycling as environmental education. Schools ask us for more classes now. The children ask sharp questions, and on topics like plastics they ask such specific questions that we sometimes struggle to answer. Just recently, members of a seniors' club visited our plant as part of a study session.

We do cleanups twice a month. Staff working that day put on matching blue polo shirts and say, "Shall we go?" They seem to enjoy it. They relax and chat as they go, so it is also a valuable time to get to know each other. In summer, there is sometimes ice cream someone gave us (laughs).

Employees say things like "There's a lot of litter today" or "We just picked up here this morning and there's already more." Even when they are not cleaning, I feel they see themselves as watching over the area. Above all, a "thank you" from our neighbors makes us happiest.

— Why did you start surveys with Takanome?

Mainly because it is efficient. We can do something good for the environment while driving. For our drivers, it is one concrete way to watch over the area, as I mentioned.

We drive all over Okinawa to collect industrial waste. Okinawa itself is small, but with more tourists, new hotels, apartments and houses are being built. That means more places to collect from, so we drive longer distances and can collect more data.

— What did you learn from the surveys?

As expected, litter gathered where there are many people. But we also found some surprising places with few people and a lot of litter, and we thought we might need to keep an eye on them. Convenience stores now keep their trash bins inside. With fewer places to throw things away when out, I feel littering has grown in places out of sight.

3. Toward action based on data

— How will you use Takanome data in the future?

First, we want to use it for our cleanups. We are thinking of working with a local soccer team and children. Next, we want to share data with the local government, such as the current situation and areas with a lot of litter, to help build a better town. If there were a ranking within the prefecture, I think people would be eager to make their area even cleaner.

On Kokusai Street, a busy street with many visitors, we have seen more littered cigarette butts and plastic bottles. With Takanome data, we can move beyond a vague feeling that "there seems to be a lot of litter" and take more specific action. In other words, we can clean more efficiently and compare before and after. That is the strength. The locations of tourist spots in Okinawa also change over time, so we want to collect detailed data, build it up and put it to use.

We must keep our own island clean ourselves.
As a local company, we hope to take the lead in keeping the island clean.

More about Takanome: here