カンツール Company Profile

On January 29, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism held the third meeting of the "Study Group on Sewer Management in the Era of Maintenance and Management Under Population Decline." I looked into what topics were discussed in the first two meetings. In the water supply business, due to the spread of water-saving devices and population decline, the amount of water sold has been on a downward trend since peaking around the year 2000, and it is projected to decrease to about two-thirds of the peak level by around 2050. Smaller organizations in depopulated areas with fewer residents in the service area are forced to charge higher fees, while larger organizations with more residents in the service area are managing well, with fee levels significantly below the requirement of 3,000 yen (per month/20 liters) for financial measures.

As of April 2016, the number of certified individuals requiring nursing care (or support) is reported to be 6.33 million, which has increased approximately 2.90 times over the past 17 years. Among these, it seems that the increase in the number of individuals with mild certifications is significant, and in recent years, the pace of increase appears to be expanding again. Along with this, changes can be observed in nursing care benefits and insurance premiums. It may be difficult for us, who live normally, to imagine this...

In Chile, South America, a law was enacted in August 2018 that prohibits the use of plastic bags in the commercial sector. As a side note, when I was a child, plastic bags were not common in Japan, and when you bought groceries at the supermarket, they would put them in brown paper bags. Therefore, whenever I went shopping, I always took a "shopping basket" with me. People back then could never have imagined that durable and convenient plastic bags, which do not tear when wet, could have a negative impact on the environment. Now, regarding the main topic of "water-soluble plastic bags," the entrepreneurs in Chile mentioned earlier have developed environmentally friendly water-soluble plastic bags using limestone instead of petroleum. Apparently, this "SoluBag" dissolves in water in about five minutes. It's safe to flush it down the sewer!