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Press Release

Publication of Results to Date of Recycling of Home Appliances by Manufacturers of Electric Appliances

May 12, 2003

Steady movement forward has been demonstrated in the two years that have passed since the April 2001 enforcement of the Law for the Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances (often referred to as the “Home Appliance Recycling Law”). This law promotes, with regard to the designated four post-consumer use home appliances (air conditioners, television sets, refrigerators and washing machines), proper disposal by consumers, collection from consumers and delivery to manufacturers by retail shops and recycling by manufacturers.

The number of post-consumer use home appliances collected at designated collection sites totaled 10.15 million units nationwide, reflecting a 19% increase compared to FY2001, while the total number of such appliances delivered to the forty designated home appliance recycling plants numbered 10.16 million, a 21% increase over FY2001. Insofar as one would expect that consumers typically discard old appliances when they buy new or improved ones, an increase in the number of collected post-consumer use home appliances despite a decrease in shipments of new products suggests that the Home Appliance Recycling Law is in fact taking root through the understanding and support of consumers.

Today, home appliance manufactures released data online regarding the recycling of home appliances for FY2002, broken down by manufacturer. Also, the Association for Electric Home Appliances released data regarding the recycling of home appliances nationwide.

In the course of the recycling process, iron, copper, aluminum and glass were recovered from discarded home appliances delivered to recycling plants, and the recycling rate surpassed the legal standard. In addition to this, chlorofluorocarbons, which are used as refrigerants for air conditioners and refrigerators, were recovered and destroyed.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment will further promote efficient implementation of the Home Appliance Recycling Law through surveys and analysis of the law’s enforcement on the basis of the above data.


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