Building sustainable social systems: Introducing Design for Environment to small and medium-sized enterprises

本研究以消费电子、塑料等领域的创新技术为对象，以绿色技术的专利为研究对象，以日本家电回收法等法规实施后的动向为研究对象，对向循环型社会转型的进展进行评估。该项目旨在促进生态产品的设计和开发，产品的生产、消费和回收都在同一地区进行。此外，通过对多个行业的环境倡议的调查，并探讨资源使用效率及减少废物等问题。然后，利用这些成果绘制“绿色技术图”，以刺激在特定地区发展追求绿色创新的中小型企业。作为建立循环型社会的一项措施，我们还提出了市政当局和私营部门之间的合作模式。

This research focuses on patents for green technologies, among others in the consumer-electrics and plastic industries innovative in the field, as well as on the evolution of the trends after the implementation of regulations such as the Home Appliance Recycling Act in Japan, in order to assess the advancement made for the transition towards a recycling-oriented society, which promotes the design and development of eco-products and in which the production, consumption, and recycling of products all take place in the same area.Moreover, through the investigation of environmental initiatives in multiple industries, issues such as resource use efficiency and waste reduction are also examined. The results are then used to build a “green technology map”, in order to stimulate the development, in a given area, of small to medium-sized enterprises who pursue green innovations. As a measure towards the creation of a recycling-oriented society, we suggest a cooperation model between municipalities and the private sector as well.