Japan Set To Compel Manufacturers To Use Recycled Plastics

The government has indicated that Japan is set to obligate major manufacturers to utilize recycled plastics as part of efforts to cut plastic pollution and promote decarbonization, Kyodo News reported.

Currently, in Japan, the majority of plastic waste is "recycled" through burning, a method called thermal recycling, through which generated heat is used for power generation or other purposes.

The government aims to revise the law on the promotion of effective utilization of resources as early as next year's regular Diet session, with the revision expected to request manufacturers to set specific targets and report their achievements on a regular basis.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry presented the plan at a meeting of experts, in which ways to effectively utilize limited resources were also discussed.

Under current law, it is not mandatory for manufacturers to use recycled plastics, and they are simply asked to make reasonable efforts to that end. Through the revision, the government is considering introducing a system in which it issues recommendations to or even imposes fines on underachievers.

Currently, in Japan, the majority of plastic waste is "recycled" through burning, a method called thermal recycling, through which generated heat is used for power generation or other purposes.

The European Union, however, considers CO2-emitting thermal recycling as energy recovery rather than recycling.

Two other ways of recycling plastics are material recycling, in which plastic waste is reused as raw materials to create new products, and chemical recycling, in which plastic waste is chemically broken down into raw materials to create entirely new products, according to the Plastic Waste Management Institute.