NYK Trading Corporation, Azbil Yamatake Friendly Co., Ltd., and Kayama Kogyo Co., Ltd. began recycling well-worn vehicle lashing belts that had passed their expiration dates for use on NYK-operated car carriers.

Azbil Yamatake Friendly will collect and separate the lashing belts into metal parts and belts. Kayama Kogyo will then produce RPF fuel from the plastic belts. Approximately 200,000 lashing belts are disposed of annually in the entire NYK-operated car carrier fleet. If all those belts are recycled, they can be converted into approximately 20 tons of RPF fuel.

When recycling started, about 27,000 used lashing belts were collected from the car carrier Sagittarius Leader at the port of Nagoya.

Previously, lashing belts that had passed their useful life based on NYK's own safety standards were disposed of as industrial waste or sold as used products. From now on, specified discarded lashing belts will be recycled into RPF fuel and reused as an energy resource. Kayama Kogyo will contribute to further GHG emission reductions by using renewable energy sources for all electricity used in fuel production.

In addition to consideration for the natural environment, this initiative incorporates a process that welcomes diverse human resources. Employees with intellectual disabilities separate the metal and belts at Azbil Yamatake Friendly, and foreign technical interns are involved in RPF fuel production at Kayama Kogyo. To create a place where everyone can work with peace of mind, we have developed specialized cutting machines, promoted smooth communication through Japanese language education, and expanded prior training on work content.

The four companies will continue to promote corporate activities that respect the global environment and realize an inclusive society in which people from various backgrounds can play an active role without distinction.

Source: NYK Line

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	Issue 90 of Robban Assafina (Mar./April 2024)