2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Evaluating Eco-efficiency of Environmentally Sound Advanced Loop-closing Business
| Project/Area Number |
15360484
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Recycling engineering
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| Research Institution | Osaka University |
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Principal Investigator |
MORIOKA Yohru Osaka University, Graduate School of Eng., Professor, 大学院・工学研究科, 教授 (30029350)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
YOSHIDA Noboru Wakayama University, Faculty of Systems Eng., Associate Professor, システム工学部, 助教授 (60263224)
YAMAMOTO Yugo Osaka University, Graduate School of Eng., Assistant, 大学院・工学研究科, 助手 (30379127)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2004
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| Keywords | Reuse / Advanced Recycling / Eco-efficiency / Eco-design / Maintenance service / LCA |
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| Research Abstract |
The national strategic plan for estslblishing a recycling-based society in Japan shows individual targets of recycling ratio for containers and packages, construction materials, food products, home appliances and end-of-life automobiles. Each law has quantitative targets from viewpoints of the weight of circulating material recovery. However the way to achieve the specific targets is mostly by downward cascade recycling with low cost. Advanced loop-closing challenges are necessary in order to encourage a sustainable production and consumption initiative, especially focused on upgrading materials/parts/products recycling systems toward the horizontal recycling while keeping their original function at the highest level possible. Research results of this study are as follows :
1)Establishing guide for environmental products strategies and evaluating eco-balance of advanced loop-closing system
The evaluation criteria and the framework to evaluate the parts-reusability were developed by apply
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ing AHP to planning the reuse-oriented business in the electric household appliances. The results of the analysis showed that three criteria were emphasized by expert judgment in evaluating parts-reusability of electric household appliances : "easiness of the reliability securing", "market value" and "demand for repair parts". Furthermore, the feasibility of parts-reuse of fan motor was enhanced by redesigning the inspection system in reuse process.
2)Planning and evaluating marketing strategies for advanced loop-closing system
The consumer acceptance to the parts reusing and repair services of home appliances were analyzed with conjoint measurement. As a result, consumers accept reused parts with equivalent to -6000 yen in condition of repairing refrigerator. Using reused parts is just an additional value among product main functions, but it is evaluated relatively higher from green-consumers, second hand products holder. In the condition of choice between repairing and renewing appliances, consumer's decision varies with the repairing cost particularly in the case that products have used already 6 to 10 years. Using reused parts for repairing can bring cost reduction of manufacturing and management of repair parts for producers.
3)Designing advanced loop-closing system to promote reuse and recycling and evaluating eco-efficiency of its system
Initially, the simulation model were developed to estimate the effect of an approach to separate copper from scrap and to produce steel sheet through scraop melting process. As the result, the approach was revealed to contribute to reduce environmental load in the future and also contribute to enforce global competition of steel sheat products. Second, the methodology to evaluate the eco-efficiency for advanced loop-closing system was developed, then the eco-efficiency based on results of Life Cycle Assessment was evaluated. Less
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