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Tokyo Mine is an initiative to collect used small household appliances containing lithium-ion batteries for recycling, with the cooperation of Tokyo residents.
An AI-powered recycling bin called Bin-e was installed in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and many residents brought lithium-ion batteries from their homes, recovering valuable resources from what is known as an urban mine. Teruki Touma, of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, said, "In 2013, a law promoting the recycling of used small electronic devices came into effect, helping to advance their recycling nationwide. With a population of around 14 million, Tokyo is working to recover used electronic devices sitting unused in peoples homes and recycle them as valuable resources. This initiative became the starting point for the Tokyo Mine campaign. Today, to raise awareness of the campaign, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government offers points through its official app 200 points, as well as character merchandise featuring its AI avatar". A resident from Tokyo said, "One feature phone and two old smartphones. Id been meaning to get rid of them someday. Then I saw this newspaper article and decided to bring them to this place." Another Resident said, "This is the battery from my stick vacuum cleaner. I replaced the vacuum with a new one, but I didnt know how to dispose of the old battery. This service gave me an easy way to do that. I think there are still many recyclable items sitting unused in peoples homes. I think it would be great to promote this service more." "These are wireless earbuds that stopped working. Since theyre rechargeable, I thought they might contain a lithium-ion battery, so I brought them here today. If its a portable charger, its pretty clear how to dispose of it. But with products like these, it can be a little difficult to know how to treat them," said another resident from Tokyo. Over the past five days, around 50 mobile phones were collected, and the total number of collected items rose to more than 10,000. They are transported to a recycling facility, where they are properly processed and recycled. Teruki Touma, Tokyo Metropolitan Government: "Tokyo's population is around 14 million. As a responsibility, Tokyo takes a leading role in environmental policy around the world. Resources on our planet are limited. As a major city that consumes large amounts of resources, Tokyo has a responsibility to promote resource circulation. To achieve a more advanced circular society and circular economy, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will continue to promote resource circulation.: Tokyo Mine campaign has ended, but the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to take a leading role in advancing the circular economy. This approach is expected to spread from Tokyo to cities across Asia. (ANI)
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