Research on Eco-Towns in Japan - UNEP

3. Case study1: Kawasaki Eco-Town
contribute to society and developing nations through information on results at the company
and recycling zone levels. The results of the Eco-Town Project is translated into information
resources, including results of business-level environmental measures, recycling zone-level
environmental measures, and research on sustained growth. This information is then
disseminated to foreign countries as well as other parts of Japan.
The Kawasaki Zero Emission Industrial Park
The Kawasaki Zero Emission Industrial Complex was constructed as part of the planning of a
resource recycling-type community, aiming at sustainable development for the future. It is a
new type of industrial complex that tries to reduce the volume of materials and wastes
discharged from industrial activities to the least possible level, and at the same time minimize
environmental loading through the reuse and recycling of resources and circulatory utilization of
energy.
There are 15 enterprises in the complex (metal-processing, paper, plating, forging, and stamping
enterprises) as of October 2004. Together they operate the Kawasaki Zero Emission Industrial
Complex Association in cooperation. Conditions applied to enterprises in the complex are:
(1) Each participating enterprise should have its own basic environmental policy and agree to
the goal of the complex.
(2) Each enterprise should challenge a higher goal (zero emission) than just emission standards
in reducing its environmental load.
(3) Each enterprise should deal with the issue efficiently through linkage with other enterpris es
that constitute the complex.
(4) Each enterprises should internalize environmental loading factors within a process of
manufacturing (forming a complex) as much as possible through collaboration among
enterprises.
Total zero emission should be attained through jointly linking with circulatory function in adjacent
areas when zero emission cannot be achieved within the complex.
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