Tokyo Electric Power Co., has started collecting used fiber optic cables and recycling part of them into drums for storing optical fiber cables. It is pursuing this in cooperation with Furukawa Electric Co., according to an August 8, 2005 announcement. This is the first time a domestic electric company will be recycling optic fiber cable.

The company formerly buried all collected fiber optic cables, treating them as industrial waste. From the viewpoints of utilizing resources and reducing industrial waste, it decided to consider the feasibility of recycling them. The parts being recycled are the outer jackets and slotted rods (protective layers) in which optical fibers are encapsulated. These are cut up, melted, refined, and molded into pellets, which are used as a raw material for recycled products such as cable storage drums.

Tokyo Electric Power plans to recycle all the cable used by the company in fiscal 2006. About 130 tons of waste cable was generated in FY2004. If all outer jackets and slotted rods are recycled into drums, it will produce enough material to manufacture about 3,400 drums, while halving the amount of waste material buried as industrial waste.

The company will also explore the possibility of recycling other optic fiber cable parts in addition to the outer jacket and slotted rods.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/index-e.html

Posted: 2005/11/25 10:13:01 PM
Japanese version

TAG Manufacturing industry , Material reduction , Non-manufacturing industry