COURTESY OF JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI
The copper scrap is in a block for recycling.
Japan wants to work with the United States and the European Union to promote the generation and recycling of metals from used electronics, according to government sources.
Discarded electronics, called “urban mines,” involve fabrics such as copper, aluminum, and rare metals, which are recyclable resources.
The government is establishing a formula to promote the recycling of urban mines and the mineral chain of origin within a framework of 14 countries and regions.
The country’s foreign plan refers to the “Mine Safety Partnership,” a framework introduced in 2022 under U. S. leadership. The participants come with Japan, the United States, the European Union, Australia and South Korea, the sources said.
Japan plans to send experts from Japanese corporations to the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to teach them how to disassemble computers, smartphones and metals from electronic circuits.
The metals and minerals discovered in the mined ore are used in electric cars and other purposes, with China accounting for a percentage of the market for this resource. It imports raw materials, melts them and exports them to other countries.
Although resources are scarce in Japan, many corporations have adequate recycling technologies. Japan intends to fully exploit urban mines and believes that cooperation with like-minded countries can contribute to economic security, observers said.
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