経済成長が著しい中国は、世界の工場として、1998年から鉄くず、銅くず、アルミくず、廃プラスチック、古紙など資源廃棄物を年率30%の増加率で輸入している。輸入された資源廃棄物は、農村からの出稼ぎ労働者に就労の場を提供するとともに、きめ細かな手分解・手選別により、機械力に頼る先進国ではなし得ない高い再資源化率を実現し、枯渇性資源の最大活用面で貢献をしている。しかし、違法輸出入、不適正処理、従業者の健康問題なども指摘されている。
本研究の目的は、信頼性の高い国際資源循環型社会システムを構築することである。
国際資源循環に関してAHPによる階層分析、コンジョイント分析を用いた意識調査や、LCAによる古紙輸出の環境影響評価を行っている。更に、違法輸出入防止を狙いとした、日本の家電リサイクルシステム連動型の中国での手分解・手選別再資源化モデルは、資源生産性向上と環境負荷削減に貢献する事を明らかにした。最後に「拡大生産者責任」の再定義を行い、「拡大生産国責任」を新たに提案している。
Study on the Global Recycle System construction for trans-boundary trade of recyclable wastes
Economic growing countries in Asia, especially China needs resources to make industrial commodities not only for domestic demands but also for foreign needs as a world factory. China has imported wastes such as waste steel, copper, aluminum, plastics and paper to use as recycled resources since 1998 and the amount has increased 30% every year. These wastes are recycled by high recycling rates thanks to Chinese manual recycling process by a lot of low paid migrant workers from rural district, while advanced countries choose mechanized process. Chinese recycling centers can supply jobs to low paid migrant workers. However illegal exports thorough recyclable waste trade, disqualified waste treatments and employee's health problems often come out.
The researcher named the circulation system of trans-boundary recyclable waste as global recycle system from the viewpoint of effective use of waste. The fatal object of this study is to construct a legal and safe global recycle system.
The propriety of the global recycle system is measured by questionnaire research from the third person to avoid the psychological bias of the researcher who believes the effectiveness of global recycle system. The one case is AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) aimed at employees of home appliance recycling center and environmental researchers. The another case is the path analysis and the factor analysis on the psychological resistance of ordinary people to trans-boundary trade of recyclable wastes. Also, by conjoint analysis, the psychological resistance is measured through the willingness to pay recycle fee for waste refrigerator.
Global recycle system is measured by LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) to assess the environmental impact. The 1st case study is about the economical and environmental measurement for waste paper export to China. The 2nd case is the study on the LCA measurement and recycling rate of waste refrigerator. As a result, it is verified that disassembling process in China which is connected with mechanical cracking system in Japanese home appliance recycling centers can reduce air pollution and improve recycling rate.
Finally EPR is re-defined and "Extended Production Countries Responsibility" is newly proposed.