Nakatsuji Limited (Head office: 1-2-28 Kitakoyo-cho, Sakai; Tsunefumi Nakatsuji, President) aims to expand its recycling operations. Recycling of office automation equipment and vending machines will become parts of its core business, along with the processing of steel scrap. The company's medium-to long-term goal is to become a leader in the recycling industry.

In May 1999, the company obtained a license to treat industrial waste (intermediate treatment) . Since then, the company has been recycling materials from up to 4,000 mainframe computers and ATMs a month, as well as about 300 vending machines per month. Nakatsuji plans to double this volume in two years. When the monthly volume of recycled computers approaches the 10,000 level, the company will expand its processing facilities.

Nakatsuji, the "leader" steel scrap processor in the Kansai area as designated by the J-RIC (Japan Recycling Network), decided to move into the recycling of materials other than steel scrap because of the downward trend in the medium-and long-term outlook for steel scrap prices. According to company president Tunefumi Nakatsuji, "The price of steel scrap was 30,000 yen per ton in the 1970's, 20,000 yen in the 1980's, and 10,000 yen in the 1990's, and we expect the price to continue to hover around 10,000 yen in the future, due to large volumes and because of structural improvements in the electric furnace manufacturing industry." Consequently, the company believes it cannot be assured of stable revenues from the recycling of steel scrap. Looking at its future prospects under these circumstances, the company has decided that it needs to expand its recycling operations beyond steel scrap, to also include office automation equipment, vending machines, metal products, and industrial machinery.

Nakatsuji Limited is a member of the nation-wide recycling network "J-RIC," and is the Kinki area's "leader" company in that network. In that connection, Nakatsuji's plants have been designated as recycling plants in the Kansai Region for JT and IBM Japan equipment. Dedicated recycling facilities for such equipment are located at Nakatsuji's Tadaoka Plant, and five employees are currently involved in the basic recycling process.

In addition to recycling, the company also has a cold forging division.