CommoditiesCountry aims to ramp up recycling of critical materials to cut Middle East dependenceItochu and Daikin Industries plan to work together to recycle aluminum from the latter's commercial air conditioners as Japan aims to reduce reliance on the Middle East for the metal. (Nikkei montage)YUI SATOJuly 8, 2026 18:12 JSTTOKYO -- Japanese trading house Itochu and air-conditioner manufacturer Daikin Industries will jointly launch a business to recover aluminum from used commercial air conditioners, as Japan seeks to reduce its reliance on imports of critical resources, especially as conflict in the Middle East disrupts global supply chains.