The Junk Dealer Makes Good Money

[Episode 118] Wood Recycling

Not only the board of directors, but also the general manager in charge of each site gathered together.

The convention hall, located on the second floor of the office, was opened to the staff for the first time.

Originally, it was a space that should have been released earlier, but it was delayed due to Shin Ae-ra’s work.

There is plenty of space for about 50 people to sit.

A podium was erected in front of the convention hall.

Si-woo Lee, walking forward with a microphone, looked at the people sitting in the conference room in neat suits.

“We must become a company that leads the eco-friendly waste business in the future. And the first step will be the arboretum. Director Jin Eun-soo?”

Si-woo Lee, who was speaking confidently, called Eun-soo Jin, who was sitting in the front of the conference room.

At the voice calling her, she grabbed the microphone and stood up.

“I am Eunsoo Jin, director of Nuri Recycling. From now on, I will start the forest circulation project briefing session.”

It was a big project.

At least for Nuri, it would be safe to say that the success of this business depended on the survival of the company.

It wasn’t just Nuri’s staff who were gathering at the present meeting room.

Shin Won-sun and Inje-hoo, who were sitting with interesting expressions, and In-su and two men and women sat together.

In addition, Park Soo-beom, the representative of Boseong Architecture, and the board of directors also held their positions.

In fact, I wondered if it was necessary to even hold a business briefing session.

For a week, Shin Ae-ra persuaded Lee Si-woo.

It was appealing that it could be difficult for Nuri to handle it alone as it requires a large amount of money.

“First of all, as the CEO said earlier, the first step in the eco-friendly waste business will start with the arboretum.”

The steelworks also considered the biggest problem at the moment to be preventing environmental pollution as its top priority.

In order to reduce environmental pollution as much as possible, we have put so much effort into changing the construction method.

“There are significant challenges for steel mills and waste processing companies.”

When iron is produced in a steel mill, various pollutants that cause environmental pollution are generated as gases.

Even if you use drugs to reduce pollutants, it is impossible to eliminate them altogether with current technology.

If it is impossible to generate pollutants, how should companies deal with environmental pollution?

“It is also important to find a way to reuse waste as a raw material through various studies. But I have been thinking about solving the essential way to enjoy it.”

Eunsoo Jin stopped talking and pressed the remote control.

The graphs from the Beam project were checked by those sitting in the conference room.

“The ability of a tree to purify harmful substances varies markedly depending on the age of the tree. The graph shows that 10 to 20 year old trees show the greatest purification capacity.”

Trees that are over 40 years old will have their purifying ability halved.

And since then, the graph has fallen sharply to the bottom.

“Steel mills, incinerators that treat waste, and landfills will be the main culprits of environmental pollution.”

There are various industries that cause environmental pollution.

Pollutants spewing out of the steel mill were pointed out as the main culprit.

Steelworks were defined as the main culprits of environmental problems such as fine dust and other factors, and crackdowns became increasingly intense.

“I am confident that the eco-friendly project Nuri will carry out in the future will be a business that can grow trees and purify pollutants from waste. And we will start a project to recycle old trees so that they can be used in real life.”

It can take decades from planting a seedling to growing a tree.

Where reckless development is taking place, of course, as development proceeds, countless trees are cut down.

After hearing the explanation, Park Soo-beom nodded and said, “Why do you want to do this kind of business?”

“It means that we need an era to recycle not only metal but also wood.”

“you’re right. The time will come when we need a way to systematically manage trees and process trees with poor purification ability into things that we need in real life.”

The junk dealer is a recycling business that allows metals, plastic bottles, vinyl, etc., which have been discarded and whose utility value has decreased, to be reprocessed.

During the past week, Siwoo Lee has been thinking about it countless times.

Why is the junk dealer insisting on circulating only the things necessary in real life, such as metal and waste bottles?

If it’s the junk dealer’s way, everything in the world should be recycled.

And the same goes for trees.

Of course, there were places where waste wood was turned into sawdust and recycled.

However, I wondered why they wouldn’t want to replant the trees that were pulled out due to reckless development.

Si-woo Lee, who was watching Jin Eun-soo’s announcement, walked forward.

“If the trees that are cut down in the development area can be uprooted and relocated, the loss of trees can be prevented. And what if those trees could be housed in a steel mill or somewhere else? At least later, can we not say that we showed sincerity to deal with environmental pollution?”

It was a time when systematic tree management was necessary.

If the trees with poor purification ability were processed and replanted in the same place, the trees could be prevented from disappearing indiscriminately.

Now the times have changed.

Someone has to take the first step towards an era in which humans and nature coexist.

Antiquities also have to change with the times, and in order to survive, they need to evolve into new forms.

“I want to ask the people here. Will you continue to live this life and stand still? Or would you like to step forward for a better life?”

After the two-hour business briefing was over, Siwoo Lee loosened his tie.

“I enjoyed today’s presentation, CEO Lee.”

Shin Woo-na-sun approached Si-woo Lee, who was sitting with a tired look, and gave a faint smile.

I politely held out his hand as he asked for a handshake.

His hands were rough to the touch, and his hands were full of calluses.

“Thank you for coming to this briefing session, Chairman.”

“It was a good time. I realized what the steel mill should pursue in the future through CEO Lee. Isn’t that right, Chairman In?”

It was a place I participated in at the request of Shin Won-sun.

During the two-hour presentation, Si-Woo Lee continued his outspoken remarks.

Injehu nodded and looked at the young man standing next to him.

“CEO Lee, I was very impressed with today’s briefing.”

Siwoo Lee also revealed his plans after forming the arboretum.

He expressed his ambition to create a new type of junk store that can recycle trees under the name of a tree seller that he enjoys in the future.

“Thank you for coming despite your busy schedule, Chairman.”

Having listened to the briefing, it was time to review and decide whether to invest or not.

In Je-hoo looked at In-su.

“Let’s discuss the part about attracting investment slowly. It will take some time for the arboretum to open anyway.”

“You can take it slow. I have no intention of rushing into business.”

Most of the attendees of the briefing session left, leaving only Park Soo-beom and Bo-seong.

“Are you all right, sir?”

“It’s cool. I heard you saw the terrain when I was away, is that possible?”

“Available. However, it may take a long time to properly design it.”

“It is a business that has to be done over time. It doesn’t mean you’re in a hurry.”

* * *

Recycling could be developed indefinitely if technology was created.

However, the problem is that the research on recycling technology is not actively conducted.

“Chief, did you hear that?”

After the briefing session, Kim Jung-nan approached Si-woo Lee, who was guarding the office, and said,

“What?”

“I heard that Korean researchers have created a technology that can recycle waste vinyl? You can extract oil from vinyl. However, it seems that the facilities and other things are very insufficient.”

Among the scales, the types that could be recycled were limited.

It was impossible to recycle the black rods that are often used in convenience stores.

Instead, they are crushed and used as raw materials for cement or sent to thermal power plants.

“That’s good news.”

“It is said that less than a ton of plastic can be processed per day. Instead, the oil can be extracted without washing the plastic.”

The development of technology was good news, but the problem was not until the method was commercialized.

It could be research and development that could take at least 10 more years.

“Extracting oil from vinyl… … .”

Si-woo Lee, who was pondering the word extraction, smiled brightly.

He has incredible abilities.

And one of them was scrap metal generation and future poetry.

‘Isn’t the name of the new ability created last time Extraction?’

Kim Jong-nan tilted his head as he smiled with a wretched expression.

“It will take a while before it becomes commercialized. But I heard that the oil can be extracted only if the plastic is finely crushed. Wouldn’t the utilization of a crushing plant like ours be increased if commercialized?”

“Chief Kim.”

“Yes, sir.”

Looking at you with dazzling eyes.

Ishiu got up from his seat.

“If only plastic is selected from waste, manpower will be consumed that much, right?”

“ah… It would be.”

“If the cost of labor goes up, is that a good business? Or is it a business like Gyereuk?”

“If it’s not that efficient, it would be unnecessary.”

“The technology is still far from commercialization.”

Seeing Kim Jeong-nan with her lips sticking out and her shoulders hanging down, Si-woo Lee put her hand on her shoulder.

With a light touch, she erased her sad expression.

“thanks. For bringing this news to me.”

“Oh, no.”

“Preparing for the future may be the attitude I should have.”

In the first place, Siwoo Lee’s ability was at a level enough to destroy the ecosystem.

In the meantime, they did not try to use the abilities that others did not have efficiently to help Nuri grow.

I was just thinking one-dimensionally.

‘If I want to use my abilities, what kind of method do I need?’

Gone are the days of relying on scrap metal generation.

The time is approaching to use your abilities in some new way.

“CEO, maybe there will come a time when Nuri also develops various technologies with researchers someday?”

“Isn’t that supposed to be it? It’s something that can’t be maintained the way it used to be.”

Kim Jong-Nan smiled brightly.

Siwoo Lee, who returned after a week, was also a safe haven for the employees.

“Chief Kim.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Can I ask you one favor?”

“Just speak.”

“We need samples of the waste. In particular, please prepare mainly malignant waste.”

There were wastes that neither the crusher nor the incinerator could treat.

Most of such waste goes to landfills.

However, even when the malignant waste was sent to the landfill site, it did not rot or decay naturally.

There are wastes that take several decades or even hundreds of years as long as they are buried in the ground and decay.

“yes. We will prepare as many samples as possible by the end of today.”

Kim Jong-nan eagerly went out of the office.

When Si-woo Lee changed his work clothes and left the office after a long time, Jae-shin Moon, who entered the office, tilted his head.

“Why did you change into work clothes?”

“I have a few things to bring from the field. But, Vice President, what do you think is the most difficult to dispose of waste?”

Moon Jae-shin blinked at the unexpected question.

The sudden question seemed to turn white in my head.

The most difficult waste to dispose of was asbestos.

“Yeah… Isn’t it some kind of carcinogen like asbestos?”

“Do you collect asbestos separately?”

“yes. Asbestos is selected separately and stored in one place.”

He knew where to put the asbestos.

As the CEO, Si-Woo Lee knew all the types of waste that were collected separately.

“I will go. Please call me if there is anything.”

“CEO, where are you going? … .”

“Are you going to go to my room?”

Siwoo Lee’s space refers to a place where used materials are piled up.

It was a secret place that no one could enter without Siwoo Lee’s permission.

“I wasn’t able to rest properly because I was preparing for the briefing… … .”

“You are young. And it’s enough to take a break after work. I’d like an office, please.”

Lee Si-woo, who left the office with Moon Jae-shin and approached the place where asbestos was piled up, put the asbestos in a small sack.

Then I headed straight to the place where used materials were stored on the other side of Nuri.

‘What if we could isolate harmful substances from asbestos? Is that really possible with the power of extraction?’