A Resource-recycling Network that Spans the Oceans
Working for the emergence of resource-recycling in the international community
Dowa in China
China is showing rapid growth.
However, environmental countermeasures have failed to keep pace with economic growth. Together with strong demand for materials, runoff from factories has polluted rivers, and imported electronics waste (E-waste) has caused damage to the environment and public health.
Dowa launched a Chinese environmental management & recycling business in December 2003, the first in China for a Japanese capitalized firm, and has established a number of bases. Two and a half years later, the Group is developing precious metals recycling operations, targeting metal scrap and scrapped electronic circuit boards.
Recycling in China
(Remanufactured resources)
At present, scrap metal imports alone exceed 20 million tons per year, making China a giant recycling market for the world’s scrap.
However, because the purity of the recovered metals is low, recovery is insufficient, and a large portion of the metal is disposed of as waste. The recovery process results in the release of waste liquids containing toxic substances, and cases of damage to the environment and public health emerge continuously.
Dowa’s environmental management & recycling business in China
Dowa Environmental Management Co., Ltd.
Today, a large number of Japanese, European, and US capitalized firms are clustered in large cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. While it is true that these foreign firms have contributed to China’s economic growth, it cannot be denied that they are also spurring environmental damage.
Dowa wants to be trusted to perform waste processing, and to realize high-purity recycling.
To serve these corporate and governmental needs, the Dowa Group launched its metal recycling business with the 2003 establishment of Dowa Environmental Management Co., Ltd. The new firm was founded in Suzhou City, as the first environmental management and recycling firm established by a Japanese capitalized firm.
The company was able to commence precious metal recycling from low-grade substrates in 2005 with rotary kiln incinerator. The company strove to keep the environmental impact to a minimum by installing equipment to reduce the emission of dioxins and other air pollutants, and facilities to treat wastewater.
With both lines up and running, this has evolved into an ideal recycling facility. As the scope of its operations has widened, the number of employees has increased from 20 at its establishment to around 50 today.
Wan-Tai Yen, Plant Manager and General Manager of Manufacturing Department
I joined Dowa Mining Co., Ltd. in October 2004, spent five and a half years there, then left Japan and returned to my home country. I made a new life for myself in Suzhou, China. The Chinese government is promoting a recycling-oriented society through environmental conservation and materials recycling, but many people still regard the environment as someone else’s problem, and it is certainly no easy task to succeed in the environmental management business. Through the efforts of its staff, Dowa Environmental Management has cleared one hurdle after another, and the company’s operations have gradually fallen into line. In the future, recycling firms will assume greater importance in China. I believe that the government and the public will achieve greater environmental awareness, and Dowa’s environmental management business will show substantial development.
Outlook for the Future
Extending the Dowa international materials recycling network to all areas of Asia
If Dowa is able in the near future to process materials recovered in its Chinese operations at its Japanese smelting plants, the Group will be able to protect the environment by recovering rare metals that could not previously be recycled, recovering precious metals more efficiently at higher levels of purity, and recovering lead and mercury more effectively. The Dowa Group possesses the world’s best smelting technology for recycling, and is a smelter of non-ferrous metals. The Group is determined to contribute to the building of an international resource-recycling network throughout Asia by establishing ties throughout the region.
|
