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Zero emission
Mr. Ito stands in front of the 'resource trash' pile at the Sorting Plant. Between 70 and 75 tons arrive at the plant daily. 99.10.15/ Temperature: 6C/ Weather: Partly cloudy/ Wind Direction: W
Current Location: Sapporo Latitude: 43 01 52 N Longitude: 141 21 09 E
Distance Traveled: 0 km (Rest day)Resting today in Sapporo I was able to visit the cities recycling complex, a new attempt community building through zero emission.
Downtown Sapporo has a very grid-like layout. As you travel further out of the city the roads begin to meander. To the north of the city along side the Toyohira River stands Sapporo's new complex to meet the environmental needs of its approximately 1.1 million citizens.
Ten different facilities fill the 23-hectare lot designated in the cities new project to achieve zero emission, an idea embracing harmony of humans and the environment. All of the facilities are new, grand in size and full of clever ways to reuse and recycle.
Zero emission is a new idea that aims to create a system which emits (puts out) no waste. Over consumption and over-emission of goods has created environmental and economic problems for big cities all over the world. "Japan is such a small country and land is hard to come by," said Mr. Ito, Sorting Plant Chief. "Pollution caused by waste and the size of Japan are the major reasons we've started this complex." Zero emission is the backbone of this new attempt.
Ten very unique and cutting edge companies are putting both old and new wisdom to test and aiming to stop environmental damage through zero emission. My first visit was the Resource Sorting Plant. The plant floor echoed with the clanking, crashing and crushing of today's trash propelled by loud machinery. "Trash from all over Sapporo is sent here. We get about 400 tons a week of 'resource trash,' which includes bottles, plastic bottles (#1), steel and aluminum cans," explained Mr. Ito. All kinds of sorting gadgets, including the force of wind, magnetic, and the trusty hands of humans, separate the resource trash to be sent out to companies that will turn resources back into products.
To get a feel for what kind of products can be made, I stopped by at the Plastic Flake Factory. At this facility plastics bottles are separated, then ground into small flakes, cleaned and sent out to make new products. Of the high tech innovations here is a x-ray camera used to determine the color of plastic. Once the camera detects colored plastic, it notifies an air gun, which shoots the plastic bottles downward into a separate bin from clear plastics. Also simple science tells us that light things float. The plastic chips sink to the bottom of the wash tank while remaining bits of trash float. Clean plastic chips can then by used to make clothing, plastic egg cartons, and small plastic accessories.
Organic Compound Recycle System Institute Director holds out a sample of fish feed tempura made from organic waste. Mixed in with all of the high technology utilized at the various facilities is a new version of a bit of old wisdom. The Organic Compound Recycle System Institute has turned Japanese cooking into a witty recycling system.
Tempura is a Japanese dish of battered fish or vegetables, which is heated in oil at approximately 180 degrees Celsius. In the process, only the water contained in the food is evaporated. As there is no loss of nutrients and tempura will last longer than untreated food, tempura has been enjoyed since long ago. The same principal has been applied on an industrial scale here at the Recycle Complex.
Restaurants in Sapporo send their organic trash to the facility where it is cooked up with oil. Once the water is removed from the waste, oil is separated from the waste. It is then ground up, filtered, and ready to be marketed as fish feed or fertilizer. There is more. The water used in the process is then treated and safe to return to the environment.
In addition to the facilities I visited there are facilities for recycling used tires, concrete, construction waste and industrial waste, a facility making oil from plastics and a sheet plastic facility.
The recycling complex here has turned around the one way flow of emission to waste sites and created an outlet for resources to remain resources. Though some waste slips by the complexes attempt at zero emission, the creative combination of technology and traditions of the past seem to have a promising future. I hope this new endeavor stands the test of time and can be added to the list of human wisdom. Do all of you think it will make it?
Greg
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