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The circular economy transition along global value chains provides levers that can curb raw material use, preserve biodiversity, and reduce pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). While the transition to circularity is building momentum, several systemic barriers continue to exist. This policy brief presents eight proposals...

While raising awareness is critical in providing information on the growing plastic crisis and explaining why current behavior needs to change, higher awareness does not always lead to behavior change. This paper aims to explore these barriers and motivations, and offer recommendations to promote behavior change at the community level. This paper...

The sustainability transition requires transformative systemic change, shifting away from mass production and consumption towards the dematerialization of production processes and maximizing the value and longevity of materials and products. Bold leadership is needed to move towards a new economic and social system that decouples economic...

The term of “Appropriate Technology (AT)”, introduced by Schumacher which refers to all kind of technologies including environmental technology, has been since developed into a global discourse on technology advancement and its impacts of implementation on human civilisation as seen from various perspectives. The technology could also relate to the...

A waste bank is a unique community-based waste management system that promotes source separation of waste and recycling. This study conducted a total population sampling targeting all identified waste bank units in Medan City (N = 100) between September 2017 and February 2018. Descriptive statistics were applied to address 16 research questions and...

　1997年、国と北九州市の政策のもと北九州エコタウン事業がスタートし、翌年に北九州市内の環境産業を取りまとめた「北九州環境ビジネス推進会(KICS)」が発足した。それ以降、響灘の埋立地の活用、公害都市からの脱却と新たな雇用の創出が結び付いて、「環境産業」が北九州エコタウンに集結してきた。さらに、さまざまなリサイクル法が成立する度にその受け皿を整備してきた。そして、ついには世界的なリサイクル産業団地の集約を作り出した。 　しかしながら、北九州エコタウンにおける「環境産業」の中心は静脈産業であり、循環産業を考える上において、あくまでも静脈は後始末的であり、「使い捨て経済」「リサイクル経済」の延命に過ぎない。持続的な循環経済への転換は、動脈産業の関与なしに達成することはできず、静脈の動脈化...

廃プラスチック問題は、G20大阪サミットで海洋プラスチック汚染が主要テーマのひとつになるなど、国際的に注目が集まっている。本稿では、廃プラスチックを取り巻く国際情報を整理するとともに、日本のプラスチック資源循環システムの海外展開の視点から、途上国と先進国における廃プラスチック問題の状況を解説し、解決に向けた機会や展望、それらを進める上での今後の課題などについて議論する。

The Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted at the conference held in Kumamoto City and Minamata City in October 2013. The convention aims to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions/releases of mercury and mercury compounds and stipulates appropriate management and reduction of the emissions through the entire...

This Work Plan provides comprehensive and up-to-date analysis on the status, challenges and opportunities of waste management in Medan City, including relevant regulations and policies, administrative structure, waste management cost, waste quality and quantity, waste collection, 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), and final disposal. Based on such...

Pengelolaan sampah telah menjadi salah satu isu utama di banyak kota khususnya di negara-negara berkembang. Tempat-tempat pembuangan akhir dari limbah padat perkotaan merupakan sumber terbesar ketiga dari emisi metana antropogenik di dunia. Sementara itu, pembakaran sampah secara terbuka dan pembakaran bahan bakar yang tidak sempurna dari truk-truk...