Message from the Director

Rapid economic development in the 20th century has left us with a legacy of mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal, which has only served to aggravate global environmental issues such as environmental destruction, resources depletion, and global warming. Now, there is a loud cry for switchover to a "sound material-cycle society," where high value is placed on resources and the environment. By definition, a sound material-cycle society is a society where environmental preservation measures are taken in every field, resources are used without any waste, and systems and rules for environmental preservation are built into the market.

Conducted between FY2003 and FY2007, the MEXT's 21st Century COE Program, "Strategic Solid Waste Management for Sustainable Society" pursued the three approaches of "development of planning tools," "development of a security system," and "development and accumulation of 3R technologies and appropriate treatment and disposal technologies," successfully building an international-standard center of research and education concerning strategic solid waste management for the creation of a sound material-cycle society.

The Waste Management Research Center (WMRC) was established on April 2005 for promoting research and development on solid waste management in cooperation with the MEXT' s 21st Century COE Program. The center aims to develop specialists in solid waste management or environmental technology assessment, and to provide information and technical cooperation through industry-academia-government collaboration. The center is performing comprehensive study on the solid waste management which supports a sound material-cycle society by tackling the following three pivotal studies: educational research on solid waste management in the campus, study on "3R" promotion towards establishment of a regional material-cycle society, and study on strategic solid waste management in Asian countries. The center also organizes International Symposium on Environmental Science and Technology.

Okayama University, as an official educational institution of knowledge, is committed to the middle-term goal of "Building up a new paradigm for the sustainable evolution of human society" to contribute to the development of knowledge of our society.

Consequently, the research activities of WMRC are key components in the effort to realize the university's goal.

As always, we appreciate your continuing support for our activities.

Ken Yoshikawa
Director
Waste Management Research Center