Scrap yards where electronic devices and vehicles are stored outdoors before their metals and plastics are recycled have become sources of concern for local communities in Japan due to frequent fires and noise pollution.
In response, the Environment Ministry is exploring countermeasures, following the introduction of stricter ordinances by several local governments.
Scrap materials stored in such yards are categorized either as "waste" under the waste management law or as "valuable materials" intended for reuse or recycling. The law currently imposes standards on the amount of waste that can be stored and the permissible height of storage piles.
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