Waste Treatment Visualization Demonstration Experiment for Resource Recycling Begins

ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Ichiro Tsuge, President & CEO) and ITOCHU Metals Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Tsuguyoshi Nakatani, President & CEO) announced today the start of a demonstration experiment for the efficient collection of waste and optimization of waste routes with the goal of recycling industrial waste in relation to the disposal of furniture using StateEco, a platform developed in-house by ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation for the visualization of waste treatment. Taking part in the Furniture Recycle & Renew Association¹ (hereinafter “R&R Association”), a group that pursues circular economy in the furniture and interior goods industry, ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation and ITOCHU Metals Corporation will seek to establish traceability throughout the process from the collection of industrial waste to its final disposal and achieve resource recycling.

The goal of the experiment is to demonstrate the optimization of routes for transporting waste beds and mattresses and the visualization of the status of waste disposal. The two companies will centralize information such as the size, number and weight of waste beds and mattresses from the business operators participating in the R&R Association. They will be transported via the collection route that maximizes the load per truck. StateEco centralizes information, visualizes the process from the collection of waste to its final disposal and calculates the optimal route for transportation in terms of both time and cost using artificial intelligence (AI) and a platform capable of checking the status of waste on a real-time basis.

Optimizing transportation routes reduces fuel consumption and GHG emissions. It also visualizes the status of the collection and transportation and disposal of the ferrous materials collected, which leads to the proper disposal of waste.

In this experiment, the Smart.i∞ electronic manifest² registration service provided by ITOCHU Metals Corporation is used to coordinate data and submit manifests as a proxy. In this way, the data entered by waste collection and transportation businesses and waste disposal businesses will be managed and verified. The goal of this to streamline the clerical work of waste-emitting businesses and improve the accuracy of information.

With the demonstration experiment, the R&R Association seeks to help participating companies acquire certification through the Ministry of the Environment’s wide-area certification program,³ while establishing a system for recycling waste furniture into raw materials. The manufacturers and distributors that have acquired certification will be able to undertake waste disposal for customers, which will improve recycling rates and reduce the risk of illegal dumping.

Going forward, ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation will utilize the knowledge obtained from the results of the demonstration experiment and the data that lead to environmental improvement to offer an eco-friendly logistics platform. Staying true to its philosophy, “Leveraging IT’s potential to change future for the Global Good,” ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation will strive to change the economy (green transformation, GX) in pursuit of carbon neutrality.