Home appliance manufacturers need to thoroughly study recycling methods to determine the costs to be borne by consumers, according to an industry group.
The current Diet session will debate a bill that would require manufacturers to recycle appliances, and the government aims to pass it by 2001. The bill calls for consumers to individually pay around 5,000 yen for a product's recycling, according to the government.
Haruo Tsuji, newly selected head of the Association for Electric Home Appliances and president of Sharp Corp., said the industry will launch the nation's first recycling plant for home appliances in Ibaraki Prefecture in April.
However, studies are needed for further recycling efforts. "We cannot decide what the appropriate cost burden would be until we complete our study," Tsuji said. Factors such as the percentage of the product that can be recycled and collection methods to return used goods to manufacturers will help determine the cost, he said.