Sep 22, 2010

Press Release

Panasonic Eco Technology Center to Begin Full Operation of Organic Decomposition Treatment Equipment

The large-scale equipment at Panasonic Eco Technology Center will begin full operation, changing organic matter to harmless gas emissions in residual plastic waste generated during home appliance recycling.

Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Eco Technology Center Co., Ltd, a part of Panasonic Corporation announced today it will begin full-scale operation of its organic decomposition treatment equipment at its home appliances recycling center, Panasonic Eco Technology Center (PETEC). The equipment uses catalytic reactions of titanium oxide to dispose of organic matter in shredder residue that is normally generated by home appliance recycling factories. With this technology, PETEC aims to speedily achieve zero waste emissions by safely disposing of residual plastic waste without burning it.

Shredder residue, generated when disassembling home appliances, consists of fragments of metals such as copper and iron, plastic, rubber, and polyvinyl chlorine (PVC) which generates dioxin when burned. Aside from promoting plastic recycling by effectively sorting them, PETEC has also been developing technology to remove the risks of toxic gases in waste disposal by using catalysts to turn the organic matter from the shedder residue into harmless gases since 2008. The same technology also assists in extracting valuable metals such as copper or iron from its polyvinyl chloride cover.

To make use of the organic decomposition technology, large-scale treatment equipment was introduced into PETEC. The equipment's attributes are as follows:

  1. Use of catalytic reaction heat eliminates the need for heating and supplemental fuels, and converts organic matter to harmless gas
  2. The turbine-style agitation method ensures effective catalytic reaction by agitating the catalysts and shredder residue
  3. The chlorine and nitrogen added in plastics are rendered into harmless gases by a neutralization and reduction treatment
  4. Valuable metals in the shredder residue are constantly collected through a sieving mechanism
  5. A temperature and pressure automated control system stabilizes the catalytic reaction inside the reaction vessel

Having tested and verified this large-sized equipment since 2008, PETEC plans to dispose of 500 tons of waste plastic residues per year by putting it into full operation. Furthermore, Panasonic Corporation intends to commercialize this catalytic-reaction based organic decomposition equipment from the next fiscal year.

This technology will be displayed at the Panasonic 'eco ideas' Forum 2010 (October 6-9, Panasonic Center Tokyo). More information about the forum can be found at the http://panasonic.net/eco/forum2010/.

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.42 trillion yen (US$79.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2010. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE: PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net.

Media Contacts:

Overseas Public Relations Office
Panasonic Corporation
Tel: 03-6403-3040 Fax: 03-3436-6766
Panasonic News Bureau
Tel: 03-3542-6205 Fax: 03-3542-9018
*The content in the following news releases is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice. Please note therefore that these documents may not always contain the most up-to-date information.

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