リサイクル法2003̲eng 03.2.6 2:49 PM ページ 16

Please display “Identification Marks”
The purpose of the identification markings is to facilitate the sorting of discarded items by consumers when they put
out the waste and to promote selective collection by municipalities. Based on the Resource Effective Use Promotion
Law (official name: Law Concerning Promotion of Effective Use of Resources) before its revision, there has alreadybeen an obligation to display identification marks on steel or aluminum cans for alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages
and PET bottles for alcoholic, non-alcoholic beverages or soy sauce, but from April 2001, this obligation has been
extended to plastic and paper containers and wrapping.
Business Entities Subject to the Law, andTargeted Containers and Wrapping

PET bottles for beverages
and soy sauce

Plastic containers
and wrapping,

Paper containers
and wrapping,excluding above PET
bottles for beverages
and soy sauce

excluding paper drink
packs (using no aluminum)and corrugated cardboard● Business entities using containers or wrapping, business entities
manufacturing containers or wrapping and business entities importing andselling containers or wrapping bear the Identification Marking obligation.
● Note that even small-sized business entities, unlike in the case ofrecycling obligation, are not exempt from the Identification Markingobligation.
● Recycling obligation and Identification Marking obligation, as a generalrule, do not apply to containers and wrapping of merchandise consumed
for the purpose of business activities.

Steel can forbeverages
Aluminum can forbeverages▼ For inquiries regarding Identification Markings…
TEL

FAX

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry:
Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, Recycling Promotion Division 03 - 3501 - 4978
Designated Organization

FAX

Homepage03 - 5532 - 8591 / 8558

03 - 5532 - 9698

http://www.jcpra.or.jp/TEL

FAX

Homepage03 - 3501 - 5893
03 - 3501 - 6191

03 - 5521 - 9018
03 - 3501 - 0203

http://www.pprc.gr.jp/
http://www.kami-suisinkyo.org/

Plastic Containers and Packaging Recycling Promotion Council
Paper Containers and Packaging Recycling Promotion Council
Plastic Material Indication for Plastic Packaging

TELFAX

Homepage03 - 3586 - 9761

03 - 3586 - 9760

http://www.jpif.gr.jp/TEL

FAXHomepage

03 - 3264 - 3903
03 - 3248 - 4851

03 - 3261 - 9176
03 - 5550 - 2101

Japan Plastic Industries Federation
Voluntary Marking

Paper Drink Packs Council
Corrugated Cardboard Recycling Council
Markings for Steel or Aluminum Cans and PET Bottles

http://www.meti.go.jp/

TEL

Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association: Research and Planning Division
Printing Pattern

Homepage

TEL

FAX

Homepage03 - 5550 - 9431
03 - 3582 - 9755
03 - 3662 - 7591

03 - 5550 - 9435
03 - 3505 - 1750
03 - 5623 - 2885

http://www.rits.or.jp/steelcan/
http://www.alumi-can.or.jp/
http://www.petbottle-rec.gr.jp/

Steel Can Recycling Association
Aluminum Cans Recycling Association
PET Bottles Recycling Promotion Council

Method of Identification Markings (plastic marking and paper marking)Marking Rules

Multiple Packaging and Collective Marking● Design
The design of the Identification Marks shall basically be as per themarks shown herein. As long as Marks remain easily recognizable andconspicuous, minor modification or decoration is allowed to theprescribed design.

● SizeThe vertical length of the Identification Mark shall be:

6 mm or more for printing or labels

8 mm or more for embossing

Composite Packaging● In case of so-called multiple packaging which consists of separable
components, such as cups for instant noodles (the cup, a lid, outer film
and soup bag), or shampoo bottles (the bottle, cap and pump), or
which consists of outer packaging and inner packaging contained
therein, such as cake box (inner bag and outer box), each component(other components are called “integrated containers and wrapping” inthe rules and regulations) is regarded to be one container or wrapping,
and the Identification Mark shall basically be placed directly on each ofthem.

● In case of plastic spouts on paper packs of Japanese sake (whichalso contain aluminum) and paper labels glued on plastic bottles notseparable from glass bottles, or laminated film of plastic and aluminum,
the inseparable unit is regarded to be one container or wrapping. The
Identification Mark to be placed on such a unit is decided by theheaviest material in the unit.
For example, for containers and wrapping made of plastic, aluminumand paper, if the plastic accounts for the most weight, they are
considered primarily plastic packaging, and the plastic marking isdisplayed.

● However, the marks for respective components may be collectively
placed on one of them if they are to be discarded at almost the sametime. In this case, the names of components (called “role names” in therules and regulations) shall be indicated near their respective Marks.

● However, the plastic shrink labels surrounding PET bottles used forbeverages or soy sauce, many of which come with perforations tomake it easy to remove them, are treated as a separable component in
multiple packaging, as discussed w on the left.

Example of Marking

Marking Item

Outer film

Marking Item

(Plastic)

Example of Marking

Plain Containers and Wrapping andThose on which Markings Cannot be Made
● Items on which labels have been glued or those made by a molding
process in which it is possible to engrave markings do not qualify as plain.
● For plain containers and wrapping and those on which the marking is
not physically possible but which come with other structural parts that canbe removed (the “integrated containers and wrapping” of w on the left)
including one or more for which there is Identification Markings obligation(steel or aluminum beverage cans; beverages or soy sauce PET bottles;
plastic or paper containers and wrapping: called “related containers andwrapping” in the rules and regulations), the Identification Marks along withthe role name will be displayed on one of the “integrated containers andwrapping.” In this case, if there is a piece of “integrated containers andwrapping” which will be discarded at almost the same time as the plain
containers and wrapping, or that on which the marking is not physicallypossible, the marking will be displayed on that.
● If there are no “related containers and wrapping” among the otherstructural parts, or if there are, but they are all plain or cannot be marked
on, there is no Identification Markings obligation.

Marking Item

Example of Marking● Marking Method
Identification Marks shall be indicated on the surface by printing,embossing or labels.

Lid(Paper)●カップ
外装フィルム
液体スープ袋Cup(Plastic)

Outer box

(Plastic: removable)(Paper: printed)

ふたImported Goods● Wrapping paper (made of paper or plastic) to be used by retail storesis exempt from the Marking requirement if its size is 1,300 squarecentimeters or less. However, the Identification Marking is preferred
even for such small sized paper if the cutting shape is known when thepaper is ordered.
● Wrapping paper manufactured to wrap a specific merchandise is notexempted regardless of its size.

Marking Item

Wrapping
paper(made of paperor plastic)

Example of Marking●21,300 cm
or moreorImporters assume the obligation of the Identification Markings in thefollowing cases:● They provide directions regarding specification of materials or
structure of containers and wrapping or use of their trademarks.
● Japanese language is used on containers and wrapping by printing,embossing or labels.

■ Penalties
Any entities designated as “indication identification entities” or that havethe obligation to make identification markings that fail to make thenecessary indications or comply with the specified requirements will be
subject to government “penalties” through a process of guidance, publicannouncements, and injunctions in accordance with the provisions of theLaw for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources.
* Smaller enterprises as stipulated in the Small and Medium Enterprise Basic Law ordesignated by government ordinances will be not be the target of such guidance, if
the amount of their receipts corresponds to government-designated requirements.

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外箱箱

Inner bag

Paper pack

(Plastic: plain)(Paper and aluminum)●Wrapping Paper●*Spout not targeted(Considered as part ofthe pack)(Plastic)

Soup bag

Cap

キャップ

Material Indication

内袋

Marking Guidelines● Regarding plastic containers and wrapping, there is no legal
obligation to indicate the type of plastic used or the presence of othermaterials, but it is still desirable to do so.
● Even when displaying them voluntarily, one must follow guidelines inJIS K 6899-1200 (ISO1043-1 1997) regarding symbols for materials.
● For composite materials, two or more materials are to be indicated,
and the most prevalent material is to be underlined.
● A combined indication will have a colon separating the name of therole from the symbol for the material, as in the example below right.
Example of single
material

Example ofcomposite materials

Example of a combined
indication for role nameand material symbol

P E

PP , PET

キャップ：PE
ボトル：PP● In order to facilitate implementation of Identification Markings, it isexpected that industrial organizations establish guidelines for eachindustry and member companies follow these.

Voluntary Marking● There is no legal obligation for Identification Markings for paper
drink packs (not using aluminum) and corrugated cardboard
packaging, but related industrial organizations have voluntarily adopted
markings for these and are displaying them.

Paper packs

Corrugated cardboard

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