Jaraa'idJaraa'id
Notification Show More
Latest News
Divided opinion in Indonesia after Jokowi bans senior officials from staging events to break fast
Asia
Trial witness against Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes sues Disney, Hulu over miniseries
United States
StanChart chief says Fed’s SVB deposit guarantee a ‘moral hazard’
Business
Mark Selby targets Ronnie O’Sullivan’s World Championship title record as he urges snooker peace talks
Sports
Post Politics Now Biden to meet with Trudeau, address Canadian Parliament
United States
Aa
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Africa
  • United States
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Sports
  • Videos
  • Live Score
  • More
    • Business
    • Market Data
      • Stocks
      • Commodities
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Forex
    • Weather
Reading: Rice into low-carbon plastic: Bringing hope to a struggling Fukushima town
Share
Aa
Jaraa'idJaraa'id
  • Somalia
  • Africa
  • United States
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Videos
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Videos
  • World
    • Africa
    • United States
    • Europe
    • Asia
  • Market Data
    • Stocks
    • Commodities
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Forex
  • More
    • Sports
    • Business
    • Weather
    • Live Score
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
Jaraa'id > Asia > Rice into low-carbon plastic: Bringing hope to a struggling Fukushima town
Asia

Rice into low-carbon plastic: Bringing hope to a struggling Fukushima town

News Room
Last updated: 2023/03/10 at 1:29 PM
News Room Published March 10, 2023
Share
SHARE

NAMIE, Japan: Jinichi Abe grins as he watches diggers working earth near his rice fields, knowing they are returning still more fields to productivity after Fukushima nuclear reactors exploded and sprayed the area with radiation over a decade ago.

Even better, Abe knows the rice that he and a cooperative grow will have a steady buyer, and his town of Namie, still struggling to recover from the March 2011 disaster, has a new hope: A venture that turns rice unsellable for consumption due to health worries into low-carbon plastic used by major firms across Japan.

Last November, Tokyo-based firm Biomass Resin opened a factory in Namie to turn locally-grown rice into pellets. The raw materials are reborn as low-carbon plastic cutlery and takeout containers used in chain restaurants, plastic bags at post offices and souvenirs sold at one of Japan’s largest international airports.

“Without growing rice, this town can’t recover,” said Abe, 85, a 13th-generation farmer, who said the rice – unsellable due to rumours – had been used as animal feed, among other uses, in previous years. “Even now, we can’t sell it as Fukushima rice.

“So having Biomass come was a huge help. We can grow rice without worries.”

Spreading down from the forested slopes of the mountains to the ocean side, parts of Namie lie only 4km from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant run by Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), which provided jobs for many – including Abe’s son and grandson. The plant’s chimneys are clearly visible from Ukedo beach, below a primary school gutted by the Mar 11, 2011 tsunami.

The same wave slammed into the nuclear plant, setting off meltdowns and explosions. Namie residents first evacuated inland on Mar 12 but then, as radiation levels rose, were ordered out of town altogether with little more than the clothes they wore.

Nobody was allowed back to live until 2017, after decontamination efforts that left tonnes of radioactive soil stored around the town for years, including in the fields across from Abe’s. Some 80 per cent of the town’s land remains off-limits and not quite 2,000 people live there, compared with 21,000 previously.

There is one major shopping centre, one clinic, two dentists, one combined primary and junior high school – and a dearth of jobs. In better times, there had been a thriving pottery business and farming, along the coastal plain.

“Fundamentally, we want businesses that will create as many jobs as possible – basically, manufacturing,” said town official Satoshi Konno, who admits things are “still tough.”

Since 2017, eight companies have come in, including a concrete plant, aquaculture and an EV battery recycler, generating about 200 jobs. Discussions are underway with others and research institutes may bring still more people.

Read the full article here

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
I have read and agree to the terms & conditions
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
News Room March 10, 2023
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular News
Asia

Divided opinion in Indonesia after Jokowi bans senior officials from staging events to break fast

News Room News Room March 24, 2023
Trial witness against Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes sues Disney, Hulu over miniseries
StanChart chief says Fed’s SVB deposit guarantee a ‘moral hazard’
Mark Selby targets Ronnie O’Sullivan’s World Championship title record as he urges snooker peace talks
Post Politics Now Biden to meet with Trudeau, address Canadian Parliament
Trump to face anonymous jury in high-profile New York defamation trial
Nigerian drummer nurtures children to preserve use of local instruments
US air strikes target Iran-backed militants in Syria
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You Might also Like

Asia

Divided opinion in Indonesia after Jokowi bans senior officials from staging events to break fast

March 24, 2023
Asia

Indonesia fuel depot fire death toll rises to 33

March 24, 2023
Asia

Hong Kong government announces measures to lure wealthy family offices

March 24, 2023
Asia

South Korea to seek extradition of crypto fugitive Do Kwon

March 24, 2023
  • Somalia
  • Africa
  • United States
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Forex
  • Stock Market

About US

Jaraa'id is your one-stop website for the latest global and local news and updates, follow us now to get the news that matters to you.
Quick Link
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Press ReleaseSubmit
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Top Sections
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Videos
  • Market DataLive
  • Weather

Subscribe US

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our Latest articles instantly!

I have read and agree to the terms & conditions

2023 © Jaraa'id. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?