Sharp Develops New Technology for Recycling Waste Plastic Parts

Wednesday August 29 7:37 PM

This technology--the first of its kind in the industry--handles waste plastic in which metal parts and different types of resins still remain attached[1], and that was previously disposed of as industrial waste. Sharp is aiming to expand the amount of recycled plastic it uses by employing this polypropylene in exterior components of new home appliances, with a goal of using 1,000 tons of recycled plastic in fiscal 2008.

In 2001, Sharp developed and implemented a technology for closed-loop material recycling that enables the repeated reuse of scrap plastic components that consist of a single resin material (polypropylene [PP] or polystyrene [PS]) recovered from the four types of appliances mentioned above, into new home appliances, thereby reducing the amount of virgin plastic usage and helping to save fossil resources. At the same time, the volume of waste plastic collected and working to expand the applications for the recycled plastic material have been challenges to further advancing these efforts.

Now Sharp has set up a High-Efficiency Metal Removal Line at Kansai Recycling Systems Co., Ltd.[2] and has also developed new High-Purity PP Separation and Recovery Technology to recycle these waste plastic components. In addition, a proprietary technology from Ube Industries, Ltd. (Hiroaki Tamura, President, CEO and Director) to incorporate colored pigments into the separated and recovered PP prevents impurities from being visible, enabling the reuse of this PP in the exterior components of new home appliances, and achieving a closed-loop recycling system.

Sharp will first adopt this technology first for the exterior components of refrigerators[3] in September 2007. It will also work toward a target of using 1,000 tons of recycled plastic in new products in fiscal 2008 (the actual amount used in fiscal 2006 was 620 tons).

In the future, Sharp will continue to pursue further innovations in recycling technologies, as well as take steps to reduce consumption of fossil resources, with the goal of achieving its corporate vision of "Sharp's energy-creating and energy-saving products equalize Sharp's greenhouse gas emissions[4]."

[1] Waste plastic in which metal parts such as machine screws and seals made of steel or aluminum, or different resin materials such as polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), etc., are still attached to the polypropylene (PP). In the past, such material was processed as industrial waste.
[2] A consumer electronics and home appliance recycling company established with investment from Sharp Corporation, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, and five other electronics companies.
[3] Models SJ-HD50P and SJ-HD46P.
[4] A concept to limit to the greatest extent possible the amount of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from Sharp's business activities around the world, while at the same time significantly increasing reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through customer use of Sharp energy-creating solar cells and energy-saving Sharp products. The goal is for the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduced to exceed the amount emitted by fiscal 2010.

About Sharp Corporation

Sharp Corporation (TSE: 6753) is a worldwide developer of innovative products and core technologies that play a key role in shaping the future of electronics. As a leader in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and digital technologies, Sharp offers one of the broadest and most advanced lines of consumer electronics, information products and electronic components, while also creating new network businesses. Sharp Corporation employs about 56,600 people in the world (as of April 30, 2007) and recorded consolidated annual sales of 3,127,771 million yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. For more information, please visit www.sharp.co.jp.

Source: Sharp Corporation

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Sharp Corporation
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