People in Japan are now more conscious of home appliance recycling since the Home Appliance Recycling Law took effect in 2001. The law encourages disused home appliances (air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines) to be used again in new products or as other resources.

In reducing our use of new natural resources as much as possible, Sony recycling plants now recover television power cords and other parts to produce high-quality copper foil for batteries and parts. Here, we focus on copper as one opportunity to reuse resources that are already circulating in society instead of exploiting new ones.