TOKYO, Japan, October 14 (ANI) — “Tokyo Mine” is an initiative that encourages Tokyo residents to collect used small household appliances containing lithium-ion batteries for recycling.
An AI-powered recycling bin called Bin-e was installed in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, where residents brought lithium-ion batteries and other used electronic devices from their homes. The initiative aims to recover valuable materials from what is known as an “urban mine.”
Teruki Touma of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said, “In 2013, a law promoting the recycling of used small electronic devices came into effect, helping to advance their recycling nationwide. With a population of around 14 million, Tokyo is working to recover used electronic devices sitting unused in people’s homes and recycle them as valuable resources. This initiative became the starting point for the ‘Tokyo Mine’ campaign. Today, to raise awareness of the campaign, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government offers 200 points through its official app, as well as character merchandise featuring its AI avatar.”
One Tokyo resident said, “One feature phone and two old smartphones. I’d been meaning to get rid of them someday. Then I saw this newspaper article and decided to bring them to this place.”
Another resident said, “This is the battery from my stick vacuum cleaner. I replaced the vacuum with a new one, but I didn’t know how to dispose of the old battery. This service gave me an easy way to do that. I think there are still many recyclable items sitting unused in people’s homes. I think it would be great to promote this service more.”
“These are wireless earbuds that stopped working. Since they’re rechargeable, I thought they might contain a lithium-ion battery, so I brought them here today. If it’s a portable charger, it’s pretty clear how to dispose of it. But with products like these, it can be a little difficult to know how to treat them,” another Tokyo resident said.
Over five days, around 50 mobile phones were collected, bringing the total number of items collected through the initiative to more than 10,000.
The collected items are transported to a recycling facility, where they are properly processed and recycled.
Touma said, “Tokyo’s population is around 14 million. As a responsibility, Tokyo takes a leading role in environmental policy around the world. Resources on our planet are limited. As a major city that consumes large amounts of resources, Tokyo has a responsibility to promote resource circulation. To achieve a more advanced circular society and circular economy, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will continue to promote resource circulation.”
Although the “Tokyo Mine” campaign has ended, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to continue taking a leading role in advancing the circular economy. The approach is expected to spread from Tokyo to cities across Asia. (ANI)
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