No.21   January 1, 2001   Developing the Mechanisms for a 3R Society:Focusing on Reducing Pollution, Reusing Resources and Recycling Waste   Hiroyuki INAMI        In May 2000 the Japanese Diet passed a number of laws related to the environment, the most important of which was the Basic Law to Encourage the Development of a Recycling-Oriented Society. Now that the legal foundations for the creation of such a society have been laid, it is up to government (both central and local), industry and the public to assume responsibility for ensuring that such a society actually comes into being.    Such a vision requires policies for the reduction, recycling and proper disposal of waste, and assumes that resources will be used more efficiently and that negative effects on the environment will be reduced. There is an urgent need for mechanisms to ensure that such a system can actually be developed.    Such measures would be based on the priorities established in law (i.e., the need to reduce pollution, reuse resources and recycle waste) and would include steps to dispose of waste more effectively (especially by means of recycling), measures to encourage the reuse of products (e.g., quality certification and assurance), and measures to match supply with demand. Above all, such measures would have to take into account the impact on the environment at all stages of a product's life--from the design stage to when it is no longer needed. Furthermore, if Japan is to become a 3R society, such activities need to be coordinated with those of other countries. Contents I The Foundations of a 3R Society 1 The Year 2000 as the Beginning of a 3R Society 2 Legal Framework for Creating a 3R Society II Defining a 3R Society 1 A 3R Economic System as Part of a Vision for a Recycling-Oriented Economy 2 A 3R Economy in a Properly Functioning National Economy 3 A 3R Society as Defined by the Basic Law to Encourage the Development of a Recycling-Oriented Society 4 Necessary Attributes of a 3R Society III Social Changes Needed to Bring About a 3R Society 1 Recycling-Oriented Product Design 2 Proper Sorting of Waste 3 Need for Reliable Waste Recovery and Management Companies 4 Need for Clearer Allocation of Costs IV Issues in Creating a 3R Society 1 Encouraging Market Competition 2 Changing Consumer Behavior 3 Mechanisms for Dealing with These Issues V Resolving the Paradoxes Inherent in Trying to Create a 3R Society GO to PDF