Japan Plans To Build Recycling Network For E. Asia

Japan is planning to create a resources recycling network in East Asia by establishing an international port to serve as a base for exporting recyclable material, such as scrap iron, from Japan to the region, government officials said Sunday.

With the introduction last year of a law requiring consumers to recycle four types of large electrical appliances, as well as other measures to encourage recycling, the Japanese government foresees a surplus of reusable material accumulating in Japan, the officials said.

China, on the other hand, and some Southeast Asian nations have the opposite problem, as they suffer from a lack of useful, recyclable materials.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is therefore planning to establish an international recycling network to ship excess recyclable materials from Japan to other Asian countries, the officials said.

The ministry is aiming to include this measure as a key element of its long-term plan for the nation's ports, which will take effect in the next fiscal year from April 2003, they said.

A ministry official said the ministry ''hopes to foster an adequate recycling industry.''

The envisioned network is expected to make recyclable material, including metals and paper, internationally competitive.

The ministry plans to secure space for collection and handling of scrap materials at the chosen port, which will become the international base port for the planned recycling route, the officials said.

The ministry plans to use cargo boats of about 30,000-40,000 tons to move large volumes of material efficiently, thereby keeping costs down and enabling Japan to be competitive on the international market, they said.

According to the ministry, Japan has in the past imported iron scrap that was reused in such things as building construction, but since around 1995, iron scrap exports have surpassed imports.