Effective separation of plastic types during recycling is a major achievement PP: Polypropylene; PS: Polystyrene; ABS: Poly (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

The highly desirable ideal of recycling plastics from old office and household appliances is usually defeated by the all-too-expensive, all-too-time-consuming reality of having to separate plastics by type and grade. Recycled plastics mixtures lack specific properties of hardness, flexibility, impact resistance, heat resistance, and so on, that the original plastics were engineered for. Mixtures are not suitable for reuse in high-grade products and often end up as garden furniture, fuel for boilers or landfill.
  None of those solutions was acceptable to Mitsubishi Electric, who developed its own system for economically recovering and separating mixed plastics from appliances. In their system, plastic parts from appliances are crushed without further disassembly, and metals are removed by conventional methods. Next, gravity is used to separate lighter plastics from polypropylene, which is now 99.8% pure. Trace compounds are removed next and special modifications made to extend product longevity to that of virgin plastic. Finally, it is treated to extend heat, light and flame resistance as a final, value-added step. The refined polypropylene can then be molded into interior parts for a new appliance, such as a washing machine, and the cycle begins anew.

The whole purpose of an electric car is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, so why not also find a way to construct it with plastic that is not based on petroleum? Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will be doing just that in an effort to help stop global warming, slow the depletion of our oil reserves, and protect our forests.

Practical, durable and clean: Car body parts made from bamboo-reinforced green plastics are just the start

  In cooperation with the Aichi Industrial Technology Institute, Mitsubishi Motors has developed an automotive interior material that uses a novel plant-based resin, polybutylene succinate (PBS), combined with bamboo fiber for reinforcement. Parts made from the material will be used in the interior of a revolutionary minicar that is being prepared for launch in Japan in fiscal 2007.
  Mitsubishi Motors has dubbed its independently developed plant-based resin technology, including this PBS-bamboo fiber resin, “Green Plastics.” The company will continue to promote the development of environment-friendly materials, directed toward increased practical applications. According to tests, this PBS/bamboo-fiber prototype achieves an estimated 50% cut in lifecycle CO2 emissions over polypropylene, a widely used petroleum-based plastic. VOC (volatile organic compounds) levels are also roughly 85% lower in testing over processed wood hardboards.

MHI’s revolutionary tandem photovoltaic modules are generating excitement and lots of clean energy

Since solar cells, also called photovoltaic (PV) cells, do not emit carbon dioxide CO2) when generating electricity, they are seen as a technology to prevent global warming. In recent years, the global PV cell market has been expanding rapidly at roughly 30% per year. If solar cells are ever going to be truly practical, they must cost less and produce more electricity for their size. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has taken a big step in that direction. Their tandem PV modules consist of an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer and a microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si) layer on top. They can absorb a broader range of wavelengths of sunlight (from UV to infrared), to achieve 50% higher maximum power output (150 watts per module) than an amorphous silicon module. To realize high productivity, MHI applied its in-house capabilities in plasma enhanced CVD (chemical vapor deposition), the core technology of the production process.
  MHI plans to set up commercial production at a new factory being constructed at its Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works’ Isahaya Plant, which will have a capacity of approximately 270,000 modules (40MWp) a year beginning in April 2007.

Nature loves biological diversity. In the mountains north of Tokyo, Nikon is supporting the AKAYA Project, a comprehensive biodiversity restoration scheme undertaken by the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J). This collaborative project, which represents the very essence of corporate social responsibility, was launched in 2003 with the aim of restoring biodiversity and building a sustainable regional community in the Akaya Forest in Gunma Prefecture, a source of fresh, clean water for millions of people.

The AKAYA Project protects the ecology and biodiversity of Gunma Prefecture

  Akaya is an area of forest and mountain streams, where human activities and the natural environment have historically melded together in an environment marked by heavy snowfalls. NACS-J has worked with local people to conduct scientific surveys and research on the relationships between birds of prey and the forest. This work has resulted in the creation of a plan to prevent negative impacts on the natural environment. In July, Nikon co-sponsored a tour whereby participants could study the richness of the Akaya Forest from the perspective of its residents, including squirrels, who rely on the forest’s nuts. In October, Nikon co-sponsored another tour, which gave people with an interest in nature conservation the opportunity to experience the natural environment preserved through the combined efforts of project participants.

Shipping company NYK Line recently presented universities and maritime institutions in Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka with a total of ¥50 million to carry out research as part of the NYK-Heyerdahl Projects. The sum will be divided among six different research projects, with focuses ranging from environmental protection and human resource management to the field-testing of an innovative naval propulsion system.

Age Grutle, Norway’s ambassador to Japan, delivers a congratulatory speech. Norway is the home country of the famous maritime explorer Thor Heyerdahl

  The NYK-Heyerdahl Projects are funded in part by the ¥10 million Thor Heyerdahl International Maritime Award, which the company won in May last year for its environmental efforts. NYK, the first Japanese company to ever win this award, then contributed another ¥40 million to raise the final sum available to the projects.
  Those selected formally received grants on February 2 at a ceremony attended by, among others, His Excellency Age Grutle, the Norwegian ambassador to Japan, and DNV Japan regional manager Trond Hodne, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.