March 24, 2000
Nissan Receives Director-General's Award of MITI's Environmental Protection and Industrial Location Bureau under the Recycling Technology Awards Program
Tokyo -- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that the company has received the Director General's Award of the Environmental Protection and Industrial Location Bureau of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) for its integrated vehicle recycling activities, extending from the design and development stage through appropriate treatment of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) following customer use. This honor was among the FY 1999 Recycling Technology Awards announced today by MITI.
This award is given by the Clean Japan Center*, an outside organization of MITI, to commend technologies that contribute to the formation of a sustainable society, such as through effective utilization of waste and the establishment of recycling systems. Ordinarily, winners are selected for the Minister of International Trade and Industry's Award, representing the grand prize, followed by the Environmental Protection and Industrial Location Bureau Director-General's Award and then the Clean Japan Center Chairmen's Award. Since no Minister of International Trade and Industry's Award was given this time, the Environmental Protection and Industrial Location Bureau Director-General's Award received by Nissan was the highest honor presented for the 1999 fiscal year.
The award this time was given primarily in recognition of the following activities regarding the recyclling from the design and development stage through the end-of-life stage after consumer use.
To promote effective recycling activities, Nissan not only endeavors to design and engineer easy-to-recycle vehicles, but also places priority on promoting the removal and effective reuse of parts and materials from ELVs before they are shredded. Specifically, Nissan has been directing vigorous efforts toward research on methods for appropriate treatment and dismantling of ELVs, utilization of used parts and the development of technologies for recycling plastics, among other activities. Moreover, Nissan has also been conducting pilot research on ways of processing the shredder residue that remains from the dismantling process.
Especially this time following concrete activities are highly evaluated.
They are effective in improving recyclability further by making clear the problems actually being experienced at recycling plants and by conveying information back to the design stage on specific improvements desired.
- Operation of a pilot dismantling and recycling plant
Nissan is jointly operating a pilot dismantling and recycling plant with Keiaisha N.M.B. Co., Ltd., a vehicle dismantler. This activity has made clear the operations, facilities, technologies and cost required for appropriate treatment of ELVs. It has resulted in the implementation of efficient dismantling techniques and operation management procedures that have been made public and can also be used by typical dismantlers in Japan. - Construction of a used parts supply network for Nissan Green Parts
Nissan has launched sales operations for used parts with the aim of promoting effective use of recycled parts and also meeting the demands of customers who desire inexpensive used parts. After the quality of parts removed by dismantlers has been confirmed, they are bought by Nissan parts sales companies for sale throughout the country as service parts under the Nissan Green Parts brand name.
* The Clean Japan Center was established in 1975 for the purpose of promoting effective use of natural resources and creating a comfortable living environment. With the aim of encouraging the recycling of waste into reusable resources, it is engaged in research and survey activities, field trials, consulting and other programs in cooperation with national government offices, local public bodies, industrial circles and other organizations.
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