Travel Report

Domestic Study Tour 2015 in Toyama City

Our visit in Toyama City confirmed the information that we have because prior to our
departure we already have our thorough preparation of our pre-study report. We were already
equipped with information to what we will be expecting during the domestic tour especially
pertaining on the topic waste-to-energy (WTE).

We already have an appreciation of the importance of WTE industrial symbiosis as an

approach to reduce the waste while producing heat and/or electricity. However, such WTE
facilities entail huge initial investments which makes prohibitive for other countries.

We also already learned that the Eco-town Waste-to-energy Facility Project in Toyama
City was part of the effort to attain an environmental-friendly town with zero carbon emission
while promoting the local economy. And that in 1960s, the city had experience severe pollution
problems, which prompted them to develop an Environmental Basic Plan leading to making the
city an environmental-friendly and recycling-oriented city, which is the Eco-Town Project of the
Toyama which includes hybrid waste plastic recycling plant, wood-related waste recycling plant,
food and yard waste recycling plant, and automobile recycling plant as the first phase.

During the travel, we further learned that there were a total of seven facilities in Eco
Town in Toyama after the completion of recycling facility for waste synthetic rubbers,
processing for fiber and mixed plastic and recycling for waste cooking oil.

We also have gained additional information through the substantial orientation in our
visit to the IZAK Company, an industrial waste treatment plan, manufacturing and sales plant.
They processed industrial waste from collection conveyance to final disposal. They also
manufacture and sell corrugated paper with special functionality. 1 The company also
incinerates the material whenever it can no longer be recycled to generate electricity which is
used at its company or sold to electric power company. We also learned that after the heat is
used for power generation, the low available temperature is still used for warm water.2

In summary, I would like to express that I am impressed on the how the city planning
was able to integrate various aspects including waste-to-energy among others to develop an
environmentally harmonized city.

1
http://www.pref.toyama.jp/sections/1208/basel/english/sponsors/images/sponsor_introduction.pdf
2
Toyama City Eco Town Plan brochure
Company Recycled Products: