Used home appliances and IT equipment are attracting attention as urban mines, and efforts to recover resources such as rare earths domestically are gaining momentum. From the perspective of resource security, recycling is increasingly being positioned as a strategic asset for Japan.
Efforts to recycle used home appliances and IT equipment as resources lying dormant in cities are gaining momentum. Companies are accelerating initiatives to collect and reuse these items, promoting the circulation of resources.
As the rare-earth procurement environment becomes increasingly difficult, the importance of collecting and recycling resources to secure supplies domestically is growing. As a result, urban mines are taking on a stronger role as assets supporting Japan’s resource security.
Companies are seeking to increase resource self-sufficiency by advancing the recycling of waste and promoting the domestic circulation of recovered resources. These developments can be viewed as part of efforts to achieve both environmental measures and resource security.