New partnership in Shizuoka to turn e-waste into jobs for disabled workers

A new prefecture-wide initiative has launched in Shizuoka to create employment for people with disabilities through the recycling of used computers. This initiative is a collaboration between ReNet Japan Group, Shizuoka Prefecture and local support organisation Kura-Zemi Co., Ltd.

The partnership aims to tackle both electronic waste and social inclusion by establishing a system where the manual disassembly of collected PCs provides stable jobs. Shizuoka Prefecture ranks 32nd in the nation in 2024 with a disability employment rate of 2.43%. With statutory employment quotas set to rise, the prefecture requires new avenues for job creation.

ReNet Japan, a company certified by Japan’s environment and economy ministries for small appliance recycling, will lead the operational side. The company already employs approximately 30 people with intellectual disabilities in its manual disassembly process, a task that involves carefully taking apart computers for resource recovery after secure data erasure. ReNet Japan states that an increase in the volume of collected PCs directly translates to more employment opportunities.

The company calls this its “Kan-Fuku Renkei Model,” a term combining the Japanese words for environment and welfare. The long-term national goal for this model is to create 10,000 jobs for people with disabilities.

To ensure the project’s success in Shizuoka, local education and welfare provider Kura-Zemi will establish satellite offices to serve as workplaces and offer employment support. Kura-Zemi is the first private entity in Shizuoka to be certified by the Labour Bureau for a disability employment consultation and subsidy project, providing a robust framework for the new workers.

The initiative has garnered broad support from local industry and government, formalised through the new “Shizuoka Kan-Fuku Renkei Promotion Council.” The council’s launch announcement was attended by Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki, Shizuoka City Mayor Takashi Nanba, and Suzuki Motor Corporation Vice President Ishii, signalling a unified, “All-Shizuoka” commitment to the project.