Jan 12th - Mitsui Engineering and Tazari Company develop advanced garbage separator

Separating garbage is a big deal in Japan and neighbours keep an eagle eye out for people who can't tell plastic 
from paper (except in Shibuya-ku, where the two are now burned together). Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding and 
Taziri Company have come up with a machine that can separate raw waste from comustible garbage, which 
householders are allowed to throw out together. The device is a huge centrifugal drum coupled with a shredder and air pumps. The device uses centrifugal force to retain the raw garbage while blowing the combustibles into a separate chamber. Apparently the machine is so good that it can separate the tea leaves from a disposed tea bag.