Tokyo announces second round of grants for digital waste solutions

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Environmental Public Service Corporation announced last Tuesday the launch of a second round of public applications for digital transformation (DX) projects aimed at supporting the circular economy through resource circulation and waste management. The application window is open until Dececmber 20, with an estimated two projects to receive grants.

The initiative is targeted at industrial waste disposal businesses that meet the Tokyo government’s Excellence Compliance Standards, and encourages them to develop innovative solutions for resource circulation. The focus of this round is particularly on the management of construction, office, and commercial waste, as well as specially managed industrial waste. Tokyo aims to address some of its most pressing sustainability issues through these digital solutions, which include smart garbage bins connected to information systems and AI-based waste collection route optimization.

In the first round of applications, eight projects were selected for funding, demonstrating creative ways to use technology for effective waste management and recycling:

• Urban Environment Engineering Co. developed an AI-based image analysis system for waste reception to automate classification.
• Tokokinzoku Co. established a circular economy platform to facilitate the reuse, recycling, and appropriate disposal of resources.
• Saigen Co. applied AI for efficiency improvements in recovering high-grade precious metals from electronic circuit boards.
• Sagamihara Paper Industries Co. launched a system for promoting resource circulation, leveraging smartphones and cloud technology to visualize waste management.
• Anchor Network Service Co. worked on enhancing the traceability of waste, boosting plastic recycling rates by managing process records.
• Seiyu Kogyo Co. built a platform for sharing information to promote the use of recycled crushed stones.
• Takatoshi Kogyo Co. worked to improve the traceability of waste and the quality of recycled materials using image analysis.
• Tobe Shoji Co. developed a platform for consolidating data from industrial waste collection sites.

These projects illustrate the city’s strategic use of digital innovation to create a sustainable urban environment. The second round is expected to build on these successes by bringing in new ideas and expanding the impact of digital tools on Tokyo’s waste management system.