Environmental Measures at BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA: Initiatives for Waste Reduction During Existing Building Demolition to Achieve a Circular Economy
Nomura Real Estate is implementing resource circulation initiatives in its "BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA" project, treating materials generated during existing building demolition as valuable resources to achieve decarbonization and a circular economy. The efforts include reusing seismic dampers, ensuring traceability for iron scrap, and recycling air conditioning machinery, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 600 tons.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 20:00
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Nomura Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo / President and Representative Director: Daisaku Matsuo, hereinafter "the Company") is implementing initiatives to accelerate resource circulation throughout the entire building lifecycle in the BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA project (hereinafter "this project"), a specific project under the National Strategic Special Zone Plan, against the backdrop of increasing social demands and strengthened ESG management and information disclosure. This time, by treating materials generated during building demolition as "valuable resources," the company is undertaking new resource circulation initiatives toward decarbonization and the realization of a circular economy in the Hamamatsucho Building and Toshiba Hamamatsucho Building, existing structures on the development site, with the cooperation of Shimizu Corporation, the original design and construction contractor and demolition work contractor.
Hamamatsucho Building (front left) ・ Toshiba Hamamatsucho Building (front center) ・ BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA TOWER S (back)
1. Background and Purpose of This Initiative
Recently, responding to decarbonization and transitioning to a circular society have become important management issues required of companies. Building demolition work is positioned as Scope 3 (Category 2: Capital Goods) *1 in the concept of greenhouse gas emission calculation based on the "Green Value Chain Platform" developed by related ministries, mainly the Ministry of the Environment. Therefore, achieving appropriate resource circulation is extremely important for demonstrating a company's responsibility and transparency regarding CO2 emission reduction. In domestic construction work, including demolition work, the recycling rate of specified construction materials is high, at approximately 97% *2. However, for construction mixed waste other than specified construction materials, the recycling rate remains at approximately 60% *3, leaving room for improvement across society as a whole. Furthermore, there is also the issue that the status of recycling, including specified construction materials, is not sufficiently visualized. Amidst these challenges, the demolition of the Hamamatsucho Building (1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo) and the Toshiba Hamamatsucho Building (1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo) will implement advanced initiatives such as those described below, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide by approximately 600 tons in total by visualizing the status of recycling. This project aims to thoroughly visualize each initiative and establish a next-generation resource circulation model that achieves both decarbonization and a circular economy.
*1 Green Value Chain Platform HP:
https://www.env.go.jp/earth/ondanka/supply_chain/gvc/estimate_03.html
*2 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism HP: https://www.mlit.go.jp/policy/shingikai/content/001329441.pdf
*3 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism HP: https://www.mlit.go.jp/policy/shingikai/content/001361657.pdf
2. Specific Initiatives in Hamamatsucho Building and Toshiba Hamamatsucho Building
(1) Reuse of Seismic Dampers
We are considering reusing the seismic dampers installed in the Hamamatsucho Building during seismic reinforcement work in 2014 for BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA TOWER N. This will be the first attempt in Japan to reuse seismic dampers in a new super high-rise building of this scale. This reuse is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 150 tons.
(2) "Closed-Loop *4" Initiative Ensuring Traceability of Iron Scrap
Generally, the recycling of iron scrap does not visualize where it is reborn into what product for what purpose. In this initiative, iron scrap generated from the demolition of the Hamamatsucho Building will be refined into steel at a designated electric furnace, and a portion of it will be used for the structural members of BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA TOWER N, thereby contributing to the circular economy through a "closed-loop" initiative with ensured traceability.
*4 Closed-loop: A mechanism for managing horizontal recycling. By linking the origin, processing steps, and destination, it contributes to highly traceable resource circulation.
(3) Recycling of Air Conditioning Machinery
The Company and Daikin Industries, Ltd. have started initiatives at multiple properties, including the Hamamatsucho Building, to collect used air conditioners generated during building demolition and air conditioning renewal work, and connect them to appropriate disassembly and recycling.
In the initiative at the Hamamatsucho Building, used air conditioners are directly brought to Daikin Sunrise Settsu Co., Ltd., a group company of Daikin Industries, Ltd., where they are manually disassembled and sorted. By delivering them to appropriate processing companies according to each component, it becomes easier to sort materials such as iron and copper than with normal processing, achieving a 100% recycling rate for resource recovery.
Hamamatsucho Building (front left) ・ Toshiba Hamamatsucho Building (front center) ・ BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA TOWER S (back)
1. Background and Purpose of This Initiative
Recently, responding to decarbonization and transitioning to a circular society have become important management issues required of companies. Building demolition work is positioned as Scope 3 (Category 2: Capital Goods) *1 in the concept of greenhouse gas emission calculation based on the "Green Value Chain Platform" developed by related ministries, mainly the Ministry of the Environment. Therefore, achieving appropriate resource circulation is extremely important for demonstrating a company's responsibility and transparency regarding CO2 emission reduction. In domestic construction work, including demolition work, the recycling rate of specified construction materials is high, at approximately 97% *2. However, for construction mixed waste other than specified construction materials, the recycling rate remains at approximately 60% *3, leaving room for improvement across society as a whole. Furthermore, there is also the issue that the status of recycling, including specified construction materials, is not sufficiently visualized. Amidst these challenges, the demolition of the Hamamatsucho Building (1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo) and the Toshiba Hamamatsucho Building (1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo) will implement advanced initiatives such as those described below, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide by approximately 600 tons in total by visualizing the status of recycling. This project aims to thoroughly visualize each initiative and establish a next-generation resource circulation model that achieves both decarbonization and a circular economy.
*1 Green Value Chain Platform HP:
https://www.env.go.jp/earth/ondanka/supply_chain/gvc/estimate_03.html
*2 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism HP: https://www.mlit.go.jp/policy/shingikai/content/001329441.pdf
*3 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism HP: https://www.mlit.go.jp/policy/shingikai/content/001361657.pdf
2. Specific Initiatives in Hamamatsucho Building and Toshiba Hamamatsucho Building
(1) Reuse of Seismic Dampers
We are considering reusing the seismic dampers installed in the Hamamatsucho Building during seismic reinforcement work in 2014 for BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA TOWER N. This will be the first attempt in Japan to reuse seismic dampers in a new super high-rise building of this scale. This reuse is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 150 tons.
(2) "Closed-Loop *4" Initiative Ensuring Traceability of Iron Scrap
Generally, the recycling of iron scrap does not visualize where it is reborn into what product for what purpose. In this initiative, iron scrap generated from the demolition of the Hamamatsucho Building will be refined into steel at a designated electric furnace, and a portion of it will be used for the structural members of BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA TOWER N, thereby contributing to the circular economy through a "closed-loop" initiative with ensured traceability.
*4 Closed-loop: A mechanism for managing horizontal recycling. By linking the origin, processing steps, and destination, it contributes to highly traceable resource circulation.
(3) Recycling of Air Conditioning Machinery
The Company and Daikin Industries, Ltd. have started initiatives at multiple properties, including the Hamamatsucho Building, to collect used air conditioners generated during building demolition and air conditioning renewal work, and connect them to appropriate disassembly and recycling.
In the initiative at the Hamamatsucho Building, used air conditioners are directly brought to Daikin Sunrise Settsu Co., Ltd., a group company of Daikin Industries, Ltd., where they are manually disassembled and sorted. By delivering them to appropriate processing companies according to each component, it becomes easier to sort materials such as iron and copper than with normal processing, achieving a 100% recycling rate for resource recovery.