SDA Recycling

Small Domestic Appliance or in short SDA Recycling is the latest trial project for Japanese to include the small appliances such as mobile phones, fax machine, camera, video recorder, play station, vcd players, radio, notebook and etc in their fleet of recycling initiative. This is an effort to inculcate the material resource recycling society. By moving into these appliances recycling, it reinforces the commitment of the Government towards total resource recycling and recovery. Having the intention for doing this is not enough, the initiative has to be supported by sufficient and well planned infrastructure, mechanism and structure of management. This was conveyed to us by Professor Toshikazu Shiratori of Tohoku University who is also the research team leader based in Odate City on Tuesday. We were told that the 4 years pilot project is not without any problems. They are looking at the technology, collection system and legal aspect as presently no legislation framework has been formulated for the SDA recycling. Unlike 6 types of home appliances which covered by law, the SDA recycling is done based on voluntary instrument. The success of it is very much related to the partnership and participation of the Odate City Council, Dowa Eco-System Group, University research and more importantly the people and consumers. In term of technology, we were invited to witness a specially made machine for clashing and separating, then sorting of the various components of the mobile phone.

The initiative impresses me the most with the partnership spirit and continual improvement for total and holistic approach on recycling. I think the lesson learned is to talk and promote if only the infrastructure is ready, more importantly people are ready.