On March 6, 2007 Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) cited outstanding initiatives in biomass utilization to encourage the use of biomass. For the Kanto area (around Tokyo), the Director-General's Award of the Rural Development Bureau, MAFF was shared by Mos Food Services, Inc. and Kohmeikai Social Welfare Corp. The Chairperson's Award from the Biomass Utilization Council went to Zengyoren (the National Federation of Japan Fisheries Co-operative Associations).

Mos Food Services, a national fast-food chain, switched to biomass cups made from plant starch for its cold drink containers for take-out. The switch was initiated for Expo 2005 Aichi, and later extended to all of its franchise shops in July 2006.

Kohmeikai has been implementing a project to collect used cooking oil (36,550 liters per year) to produce biodiesel fuel. The biodiesel oil is sold to governmental organizations, farmers and businesses.

Zengyoren has been manufacturing a culture medium by filling waste shells from shell cultivation operations into meshed pipes, which are used for building fish-breeding reefs called JF Shell Nurse. Since the start, the organization placed 6,000 reefs in 24 prefectures and utilized 3,600 tons of waste shells by 2005.


- Kyoto City, Sony Commended for Biomass Use (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/906-e

Posted: 2007/08/11 04:32:06 PM
Japanese version

TAG Energy , Government , Material reduction