Regional Expansion of Paper Recycling from Saga: Launch of a Collaborative Initiative

**Paper Recycling Promotion Center (Tokyo, Chuo Ward) is collaborating with HiBee Inc. (Saga Prefecture, Saga City, Representative Director Keita Takashige) to launch initiatives aimed at creating a model for a "regional circular and symbiotic society" based in Saga.**

**The environment surrounding paper recycling is facing a major turning point, driven by factors such as a decrease in generation volume and increasing demands for reducing burnable waste. In particular, "miscellaneous paper" (雑がみ) discharged from households is still often included in burnable waste, making it a challenge to establish segregation as a daily behavior.**

**This initiative, starting with "Find the 'Zat-gami-sama'!", aims to foster sustainable forms of circulation through the connection of diverse stakeholders, while expanding opportunities for practical engagement within the community.**

Initiatives in the Community Starting with "Miscellaneous Paper" This initiative is an attempt to re-examine the state of paper resource circulation in the region, using "Find the 'Zat-gami-sama'!" as a trigger.

Among the paper resources discharged from households, miscellaneous paper is easily mixed with burnable waste and is considered an area where segregation is difficult to establish. By focusing on this easily overlooked paper resource, we aim to promote segregation and increase collection by influencing daily actions.

Furthermore, going beyond mere awareness, we aim to foster a sense of regional circulation by repeatedly engaging in initiatives that consider the entire process from collection to utilization.

We hope that through such accumulated efforts, paper recycling will spread as a daily action and naturally take root within the community.

Expansion of Collaboration Connecting Young Generations and the Community This partnership will promote initiatives that connect diverse regional stakeholders through the participation of younger generations.

HiBee will play a role in connecting the region, young people, local governments, and businesses, stimulating proactive engagement through involvement in various settings such as universities and community activities.

We will also expand opportunities for awareness, collection experiences, and information dissemination in accessible settings like universities, community events, sports venues, and administrative facilities in a manageable way.

Through these activities, we aim to create a system where various stakeholders—local governments, businesses, educational and research institutions, and citizens—are interconnected, and the entire process from discharge to collection and utilization is viewed holistically within the region.

The Shape of a Regional Model Expanding from Saga This initiative seeks to explore forms of circulation that suit the specific circumstances of each region by accumulating concrete examples in Saga.

We aim for a spread of practical implementation in a manageable manner by repeating trials in various settings such as regional events, schools, companies, and administrative facilities.

We expect that each of these efforts will serve as a reference for other regions, leading to developments tailored to their respective needs.

As a center, we wish to continue supporting local governments in their initiatives through the sharing of such practices. Keywords: Waste paper, Find the 'Zat-gami-sama'!, HiBee Inc., Partnership, Regional Circular and Symbiotic Society, Recycling, SDGs, Saga Prefecture, Collaboration, Awareness