Recycling Minerals From Used Electronics in Japan

"Japan Recycles Minerals From Used Electronics"
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/global/05recycle.html?ref=earth




Kosaka, a small city in Akita, Japan, has a brilliant recycling system of minerals. Many technological devices come from China to Japan nowadays but China decided to block exports of all rare earths to Japan two weeks ago. This gives a huge impact for Japanese industries because Japan is poor in natural resources. Japanese companies need to find new ways to find natural resources because natural resources are necessary for technological development and creation.
It is a superb idea to recycle minerals from used electronics. In fact, Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, a former land minister and now opposition party member said “We’ve literally discovered gold in cellphones.” Many Japanese companies, such as Dowa holdings and Hitachi Ltd, support environmentally friendly activities by committing their CSR obligations. As we discussed in class, we need to use natural resources wisely and recycle them since we have a certain limited amount left. I hope this recycling system will be used in the rest of the world and help saving resources.