In this age of rising environmental awareness, the recycling of waste from construction projects and other sources has become a priority. Already, the Japanese government has passed the Basic Environment Law and a law concerning the recycling of construction waste.
      Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi (SCM) is helping to meet this need for recycling with a range of environmental recycling machines, centered on the SOCIO Series. Delivering world-class operational and safety performance, these quality machines facilitate on-site operations by handling all processes from the recycling of soil, lumber and other construction waste through to the utilization of recycled products.
      The SOCIO Series includes crushers, wood crushers and woodchip blowers as well as a soil stabilizer and a shredder, all of which are self-propelled. The MC220-S self-propelled two-axle shredder has an exclusive crushing system that efficiently processes all types of materials. The crushing blades
have been specially designed to minimize running costs and maintenance, and the system also dramatically reduces the need for hazardous and troublesome pre-processing, such as sorting and cutting.
      One example of recycling is processing of waste lumber into chips for use as an alternative fuel by manufacturers, including major cement and paper companies.
The SOCIO Series machines recycle construction waste quickly and efficiently
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In the 21st century, environmental protection has risen high on the agenda for many businesses, local governments, schools, community groups and other organizations. To reward their efforts and encourage harmonious coexistence between industry and the global environment, the Fujisankei Communications Group and Nihon Kogyo Shinbun Co., Ltd. established the Global Environment Awards in 1992 in cooperation with WWF Japan (World Wide Fund for Nature Japan).
      At the 16th Global Environment Awards, held in April, two companies from the Mitsubishi Group were duly rewarded for their active environmental efforts—NYK and Nippon Oil.
The Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award, presented to NYK   The Nippon Keidanren Chairman’s Prize,
presented to Nippon Oil
      NYK was presented with the inaugural Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award at a ceremony attended by His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino of Japan. NYK, which previously won the Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) Chairman’s Prize in the 14th Global Environment Awards, was selected for the latest award in recognition of the following global initiatives:
■ In the early 1980s, NYK developed a new treatment that dramatically reduced the discharge of oil-water mixtures from the engine rooms of oceangoing vessels.
■ To commemorate winning the Thor Heyerdahl International Maritime Environmental Award in May 2005, NYK created a ¥50 million fund to promote surveys, research and training relating to the protection of the marine environment.
■ In the summer of 2006, NYK’s energy conservation activities under the CO2 Diet Declaration saved around 300 tons of CO2, including approximately 140 tons overseas.
Nippon Oil, meanwhile, received the Nippon Keidanren Chairman’s Prize in recognition of its achievements in a number of areas. Not only was the company the first in the Japanese petroleum industry to achieve zero emission status at its refineries, it is also actively developing fuel cell systems as well as manufacturing and selling sulfur-free fuel.
      Nippon Oil also operates one of the biggest direct CO2 reduction projects in the world at the Rang Dong oil field in Vietnam. The project utilizes associated gas produced along with crude oil for additional energy production. The gas, which would otherwise be flared, is pipelined to power plants, fertilizer plants and nearby industrial zones on the mainland. In February 2006, the Rang Dong initiative became the first of its type in the world to be approved as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project by the CDM Executive Board of the United Nations.*
      Both companies have expressed their continued strong commitment to the protection of the global environment.
* Under the Kyoto Protocol, CDMs allow companies from industrialized countries to invest in emission-reducing projects in developing countries as a way of meeting their own emission reduction obligations.
Companies were honored for their
environmental achievements in the
presence of His Imperial Highnesses Prince
Akishinonomiya Fumihito and Princess
Akishinonomiya Kiko (Royal couple in th
e center. Far left, bottom row: Takao
Kusakari, chairman of NYK. Far right, bottom
row: Shinji Nishio, Representative Director
and President of Nippon Oil)
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As part of its social contribution activities, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) has initiated the Tropical Forest Regeneration Experimental Project in Kenya in partnership with the Green Belt Movement (GBM), a Kenya-based NGO founded by Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai.
      MC launched its first project in Malaysia in 1990. Based on a theory developed by a leading plant ecology expert, Dr. Akira Miyawaki, Professor Emeritus of Yokohama National University, the scheme calls for intensive planting of numerous indigenous tree species. This groundbreaking method aims to regenerate tropical forests in just 40–50 years, instead of the 300–500 years the process is generally assumed to take. Projects have been implemented in Malaysia and Brazil, but this is the first one in Africa.
(From right) Ambassador Miyamura, Professor Maathai,
Mr. Kamezaki (Senior Executive Vice President, MC) and Dr. Miyawaki at the tree-planting ceremony in Kenya
      In November 2006, over 100 people joined the tree-planting ceremony marking the start of the project. Attendees included Dr. Akira Miyawaki, Professor Wangari Maathai, His Excellency Mr. Satoshi Miyamura, Ambassador of Japan to Kenya, and students and teachers from the Nairobi Japanese School.
      GBM aims to improve the living conditions of the poor, particularly women, by providing them with work opportunities through the planting of trees. The organization has been given the contract for both tree planting and future maintenance activities, including weeding and watering.
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Today, people are increasingly urged to adopt an environment-friendly lifestyle. But, what does this actually mean?
      On the 10th floor of the Shin-Marunouchi Building (see cover story) in central Tokyo, you can find out. Here, Mitsubishi Estate has created its innovatively named “Ecozzeria,” an information center for environmental initiatives in the Marunouchi area.
      Coined from Italian words, “Ecozzeria” means a space for ecological creation. Opened on May 14, the facility serves as a hub for environment-related human and material resources, events and information, and contributes to the creation of new, environment-friendly technologies. The general public can also go there to discover and try ideas for lifestyles that do not damage the Earth’s ecological balance.
      The Ecozzeria has three parts: a large Open Space for exhibits and product displays, a Salon Space for presentations and interaction between research groups and environmental organizations, and a Tangible Earth Room, which presents the global environment visually by way of a digital terrestrial globe.
      The interior is partly made from materials recovered from the old, demolished Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Yaesu Building. Environment-friendly materials are also used extensively, including recycled design furniture and lush “green walls.”
      Through the Ecozzeria, Mitsubishi Estate aims to turn the Marunouchi area into a model of environmental urban development for Japan, Asia and the world.
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