Kureha Environmental Engineering, a waste management specialist, will soon begin testing the feasibility of using RFID tags to keep tabs on how companies dispose their medical waste.
The trials, to be conducted at IBM's recently-opened RFID center in Kanagawa, Japan, will involve installing radio tags on containers used by Kureha to house waste materials. Tag readers will be placed at Big Blue's laboratory to evaluate issues, such as signal sensitivity and the influence of obstacles, and to find the best way to mount RFID tags.
"The primary goal for the RFID system is to prevent illegal waste disposal by creating a traceability system for medical waste with a number of different hospitals and transportation companies in Japan," the companies said in a statement.
"Medical waste is extremely hazardous and needs to be handled with care as it is transported from medical institutions to the final licensed waste processing site,” they added.
The initial trials are scheduled for completion next month. If successful, further testing will be done at Kureha's waste processing facilities, after which, the RFID system may be deployed at the Kureha General Hospital in Japan's Fukushima prefecture.
This announcement follows the recent tightening of Japan’s "Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing" law to weed out unlawful dumping of industrial waste.
Previously, only individuals caught for illegal dumping are liable for punishment. Following the latest amendments, companies where the waste originated from, such as hospitals and factories, can now be incriminated, placing the onus on these organizations to ensure their waste products are properly-disposed.
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