PWMI NewsletterNO

49 2020.2

Plastic Waste Management InstituteJAPAN

Plastic Products, Plastic Waste andResource Recovery [2018]
Background information and notes on the publication of the Flowchartof Plastic Products, Plastic Waste and Resource Recovery (2018)
This year, to improve the accuracy of thehere in relation to the incineration andFlowchart of Plastic Products, Plastic Waste

landfilling of industrial plastic waste wereand Resource Recovery, we conducted a“ratio of processing by business operators“revision of various coefficients and of theto processing by local governments,”

production waste ratio with regard to“incineration/landfilling ratio of businessincineration and landfilling of industrial

operators,” and “breakdown of business-plastic waste” (referred to below as “revision

operator incineration processing byof coefficients”).

incineration method.” This time, moreover,

Last fiscal year, we conducted for the firstby following in more detail the amount oftime in five years a questionnaire-based

plastic waste discharge by source, wes u r vey o n t h e d i s c h a rg e a n d d i s p o s a l /estimated the percentage of plastic that wasrecovery of industrial plastic waste targeting

wasted without becoming pallet material,

industrial plastic waste dischargers (plastic

products, etc. at the time of resin production

manufacturers, processors, and users). We

or resin product processing/use, that is, boththen used the results of this survey to revise

the production waste ratio and processing

various coefficients used for calculations in

waste ratio. (New production waste ratio =the 2018 PWMI flowchart.

0.59%.)The main coefficients targeted for revision
PWMI Newsletter 1

2018 Highlights(1) For 2018, resin production and domestic plastics products consumption were 10,674 kt and 10,293 kt, respectively.
(2) Total plastic waste discharge was 8,913 kt.
(3) Effectively used plastic waste was 7,497 kt making for an effective plastic utilization rate of 84%.

Resin production for 2018 decreased from the previous year to10, 674 kt (-346 kt relative to 2017; -3.1%). In addition, resin
export, resin import, product export, and product importincreased to 4,089 kt (+27 kt; +0.7%), 3,241 kt (+325 kt;+11.1%), 876 kt (+45 kt; +5.4%), and 2,089 kt (+85 kt; +4.3%),
respectively. The increase in resin import was much greater than
the increase in resin export, and the amount of mechanicalrecycling products (reclaimed products) produced in theprevious year that are thought to have been domestically
distributed this year increased significantly due to a two-year
straight decrease in their export. As a result, domestic plastics
products consumption increased to 10,293 kt (+173 kt; +1.7%)
On the other hand, total plastic waste discharge decreased fromthe previous year to 8,913 kt (-118 kt, -1.3%). This was caused
by a decrease in production waste, which became a part ofindustrial waste due to the “revision of coefficients” describedabove. On breaking down total plastic waste discharge, domestic(general) plastic waste increased for two years straight to 4,292
kt (+113 kt, +2.7%) due, in part, to a gradual increase in the
consumption of containers and packaging (having a shortproduct lifetime). industrial plastic waste, on the other hand,decreased to 4,621 kt (-231 kt, -4.8%).
In terms of disposal and recovery methods, mechanicalrecycling decreased to 2,082 kt (-30 kt; -1.4%), feedstock

recycling *1 decreased to 392 kt (-9 kt; -2.2%), and energy
recovery*2 decreased in total to 5,023 kt (-214 kt; -4.1%). As aresult, effective plastic utilization decreased to 7,497 kt (-252kt; -3.3%) from the previous year. The non-utilized plastic wasteby simple incineration or by landfilling increased to 1,416 kt(+135 kt, +10.5%). The percentage contributions to the effective
plastic utilization rate by mechanical recycling, feedstock
recycling, and energy recovery were 23%, 4%, and 56%,
respectively, resulting in a two-point drop from the previous
year to 84%. However, this figure is due to changes in various
indices and mainly to the above “revision of coefficients,” butthe actual state of affairs is that the effective plastic utilization
rate increased from the previous year by one point. This increasein the effective plastic utilization rate can be attributed inparticular to a large increase in mechanical recycling and anincrease in the use of industrial waste as cement material/fuel.
The export of recycled materials and products that constitute alarge percentage of mechanical recycling decreased significantly
to 905 kt (-387 kt; -29.9%) due to stricter import regulations
imposed on plastic waste by China at the end of 2017.
*1:feedstock recycling = blast/coke furnaces + gasification + liquefaction*2:energy recovery = densified-refuse derived fuel and cement material/fuel +incineration with power generation + incineration with heat utilization
facility

Explanation of flowchart items(1) Resin production, resin processing,and marketing of products
1-1 Resin production

・This figure was estimated on the basis of chemical-industry
statistics from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry(METI). Note that (synthetic) resin does not include synthetic
rubber or synthetic fiber.
1-2 Reclaimed products
・For convenience sake, this figure was estimated assuming thatthe previous year’s recycled products (domestically used portion)
are used in the current year while taking figures for export andimport of plastic waste into account.
1-3 Domestic plastic products consumption
・(domestic plastic products consumption) = (resin production) –{(resin export) – (resin import)} – (liquid resin, etc.) – {(resin
processing waste) – (reclaimed products)} – {(product export) –(product import)}

2

・Resin export/import figures are based on trade statistics from the
Ministry of Finance.
・Figures for liquid resin, etc. such as additives and paints that falloutside the scope of plastic waste at the time of discharge arebased on chemical-industry statistics from METI.
・Figures for plastic product export and import are based on trade
statistics from the Ministry of Finance.
・Resin processing waste refers to discharged waste from theprocessing step that is not turned into products.
1-4 Domestic plastic input
・( d o m e s t i c p l a s t i c i n p u t ) = ( d o m e s t i c p l a s t i c p r o d u c t s
consumption) – {(exported plastic parts from assembled
products) – (imported plastic parts from assembled products)}
Assembled
products: automobiles, home appliances (televisions,・
refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, washing machines anddryers)・Number of exported/imported assembled products: Automobile
figures were determined from an automobile database (Japan

Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA)); home
appliance figures were based on “Current Production Statistics”
from METI.

(2) Discharge
2-1 Post-use products discharge
・This figure is calculated by a PWMI estimation system based on
domestic plastic input by demand-generating fields and by resin
type (usage quantities have been calculated annually from 1976)
and on a new product discharge model by demand-generating
fields (“100-year discharge model” formulated by PWMI in2017).
・Since the export of used automobiles affects post-use products
discharge in Japan, corrections were made to plastic waste
discharge in the transport industry. Here, the number of exported
used automobiles is based on data released by Japan Automobile
Dealers Association.
Discharge
ratios for domestic waste and industrial waste were・
estimated using a new product discharge model by demandgenerating fields (formulated by PWMI in 2017).
2-2 Production and processing waste discharge
・Amount of resin production waste (resin discharged as waste in
the resin-production stage) is not included in the amount of resin
production. The amount of resin production waste and amountof resin processing waste were each estimated using a prescribed
waste ratio.In addition, we used a new value for the productionwaste ratio calculated from the results of the survey conductedby PWMI in fiscal year 2018.
2-3 Total plastic waste discharge
・(total plastic waste discharge) = (post-use products discharge) +(resin production waste) + (resin processing waste)
2-4 Breakdown of total plastic waste discharge by resin type・These breakdown figures were estimated from amounts of postuse products discharge, production and processing waste
discharge, resin production, etc.
(3)Disposal
Disposal
recovery(3)
and andrecovery
3-1 Mechanical recycling
・Figures for the mechanical recycling of domestic plastic waste
are based on the weight of collected PET bottles (The Council
for PET Bottle Recycling) and weight of collected white trays(Japan Plastic Food Container Industry Association), and figures
for the mechanical recycling of other plastic containers andpackaging are based on data released by The Japan Containers
And Packaging Recycling Association. Residual amounts after
the mechanical recycling of other plastic containers andpackaging were allocated to densified-refuse derived fuel using
figures released by The Japan Containers And Packaging
Recycling Association as coefficients.
・Figures for the mechanical recycling of industrial plastic waste
were determined by deducting the amount of mechanicalrecycling of domestic plastic waste from the total amount of
mechanical recycling using statistics from industry associations
and the results of questionnaires sent to recycling companies.
Furthermore, while approximately 70% of production waste wasmechanically recycled based on the results of the survey
conducted in fiscal year 2018, the total amount of processing
waste was mechanically recycled as in the past.

・“Recycled material” indicates pellets, flakes, fluff, blocks, andingots, while “recycled products” refer to film sheets, stakes,
pipes, etc. other than the above.
・The export figure for recycled material and recycled products(export figure for plastic waste) was calculated after correcting
for the “scrap plastic” export figure based on trade statistics from
the Ministry of Finance. The import figure for recycled material
and recycled products is small enough to be ignored.
3-2 Densified-refuse derived fuel and cement material/fuel,blast/coke furnaces, gasification, and liquefaction
・Figures for densified-refuse derived fuel includes plastic waste
for power generation; figures for densified-refuse derived fueland cement material/fuel are based on the results of surveys
covering respective industry associations.
・Figures for blast furnace raw materials, coke-oven chemicalmaterials, gasification, and liquefaction approved as productrecycling methods by the Containers and Packaging Recycling
Law are based on data released by The Japan Containers And
Packaging Recycling Association. Associated figures for industrial
waste were based mainly on the results of questionnaires.
3-3 Incineration/landfilling of domestic waste
・Incineration/landfilling ratio
This figure was estimated using the results of PWMI surveys
based on figures in the “FY2016 Nation Survey on the State ofDischarge and Treatment of Municipal Solid Waste” released by
the Ministry of the Environment.
・Incineration with power generation, incineration with heatutilization, and simple incineration of domestic waste“Incineration with power generation” means incineration
processing by an incinerator equipped with power-generation
facilities, “incineration with heat utilization” means incineration
processing by an incinerator that, while not equipped withpower-generation facilities, has facilities for utilizing heat
externally, and simple incineration means incineration
processing by an incinerator other than that above. The ratios
shown were estimated using the results of PWMI surveys basedon values released by the Ministry of the Environment.
3-4 Incineration/landfilling of industrial waste
・The disposal and recovery of industrial waste is partiallycommissioned to local governments as business-related
waste. Here, for the ratio of such processing by business
operators to that commissioned to local governments, weused a new value calculated from the results of thesurvey conducted in fiscal year 2018. The percentage
breakdown of commissioned processing into incineration
with power generation, incineration with heat utilization
facility, simple incineration, and landfilling was based on
figures for domestic waste processing.
・For business operators, the incineration/landfilling ratio
and the percentage breakdown of incineration processing
into incineration with power generation, incineration
with heat utilization facility, and simple incineration were
new values calculated from the results of the survey
conducted in fiscal year 2018.
・Figures for incineration with power generation includes plastic
waste traded for a price.

PWMI Newsletter 3

Flowchart of plastic products,
plastic waste and resource recovery
2018[ Unit：10kt（ten thousand tons）]
Resin production, resin processing, and marketing of products

Discharge❶
Resinproduction

Resinexport

1,067

409
Resin
import324❷

Domestic
plastic products
consumption

1,029

Domestic plastic
input

Use

992

Post-use
products
discharge

828

Note 3

Product
export88❸

p

Product
import209
Liquidresin,etc.

93
Resin
processing
waste

57

Production
andProcessing
waste

64
Note 1

Non-use

Production
andProcessing
waste discharge

64

Resin
productionwaste

6
Reclaimed
products

76

Note 2

4Note 1: Resin production does not include the quantity shown for resin production waste
Note 2: The quantity shown this year for reclaimed products(76 ten tousand tons) is based on that of
mechanical recycling from the previous year (211ten thousand tons) excluding exported portion(129 ten thousand tons) and the amount used for fiber from PET bottles (6 ten thousand tons).
Note 3: The figure for post-use products discharge is computed by a PWMI estimation system based on
usage for different demand areas and different resin types (from 1976) and product lifetimes fordifferent demand areas (100-years discharge model created by PWMI at 2017).
Note 4: Some figures may not exactly match due to rounding.
※❶〜❻ corresponds to the graph of next page.

Disposal and recovery

Domestic waste
Mechanical recycling

71

Liquefaction, gasification, blast furnace

25❹

Domestic
waste

429

Densified-refuse derived fuel /cement material and fuel

26

207

39
4%

Incineration without power generationor heat utilization facility

Densified-refuse
derived fuel /cement material
and fuel

26

Industrial waste
Mechanical recycling

137

Liquefaction, gasification, blast furnace

14

Densified-refuse derived fuel /cement material and fuelIndustrial
waste

462

208
23%

Incineration withheat utilization facility

Landfilling❺

recycling

Liquefaction,
gasification,
blast furnace

52

891

※6
❻Mechanical

Incineration with power generation

21

Total
plastic waste
discharge

Sum of waste

147

Incineration with power generation

57

Incineration withheat utilization facility

45

Incineration without power
generation or heat utilization facility

21

173
19%

Incineration
with power
generation

Utilized
plastic waste

750
84%

264
30%
Incineration
with heatutilization facility

66
7%

Incineration
without power
generation or heatutilization facility

73
8%

Landfilling

68
8%

Non-utilized
plastic waste

142
16%

Landfilling

43

PWMI Newsletter 5

Details of flowchart elements（unit：10kt（ten thousand tons））❶ Breakdown of resin production by resin type(1,067 ten thousand tons)❷ Breakdown of resin products by field(1,029 ten thousand tons)
Others 58 5.7%

Thermosetting
resin
97
Polyethylene
9.1%
Other
247
thermoplastic
23.1%
resin
195

18.3%

Thermoplastic
resin
Polystyrene(including SAN, ABS) 90.9% Polypropylene
236
124
22.1%
11.6% Polyvinylchloride
169

Agriculture,
forestry and fishery
Household13 1.2%
articles,etc.
98

9.5%

Containers andpackaging
422

Building materials
115

11.1%

41.0%

Transportation
126

12.2%

15.8%

Electric andmachinery
198

19.3%

❸ Breakdown of total plastic waste by field and resin type (891ten thousand tons)
Production andprocessing waste
64
Others
7.2%
58

Others215

6.5%

Building
materials
61 6.9%Householdarticles,etc.
67 7.5%Polyethylene
306

24.2%
Containers andpackaging423

Post-use
products

47.4%

92.8%

Electric andmachinery
176

34.3%

Polyvinylchloride
70 7.8%Polystyrene(including SAN, ABS) Polypropylene
197
104 11.6%

22.0%

19.7%

Transportation
31 3.5%Agriculture,forestry and fishery 12 1.3%

(by field)(by resin type)❹ Breakdown of domestic(general) waste
by field (429 ten thousand tons)
Agriculture,forestry Transportationand fishery 0 0.0%

0 0.0%

Agriculture,
forestry and Production andfishery 12 processing waste
2.5%
64
13.8%
Others35 7.6%

Others23
Householdarticles,etc.
51 11.8%

5.4%

Containers andpackaging
336

78.2%

6

Electric
and machinery
20 4.6%
Building materials 0 0.0%

❺ Breakdown of industrial waste by field(462 ten thousand tons)

Transportation
31 6.7%
Building
materials
61

13.3%

Householdarticles,etc.
17 3.6%

Electric andmachinery
156

33.8%

Containers
and packaging
87

18.8%

❻ Breakdown of mechanical recycling (208 ten thousand tons)○ Breakdown of mechanical recycling resources and resin type

Production andprocessing waste
62

Post-use products
147

29.5%

Polypropylene
43

PET resin indesignated PET bottle
56

20.4%

26.7%

70.5%

Polyethylene
33

Others24(containing 71 ten thousand tons of
post-use products
from domestic waste)

15.9%

11.7%

Polyvinylchloride
28

13.6%

Polystyrene(including SAN, ABS)
25 11.9%○ Breakdown of post-use products for mechanical recycling (147 ten thousand tons)
PET bottles

53

Wrapping film

24
21Home electric-appliancehousings, etc.
Agricultural plastics

8

Electric-wirecovering material

7

Expanded polystyrene
packing material, etc.

65Containers and the like4

Automobile parts

2

Pipes, etc.
Expandedpolystyrene trays

1

Non-PET bottles

1
17

Others
0

1

2

3

4

(by type of reclaimed products)

Recycled products
71

34.0%

Recycled material
137

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

52

53

[ ten thousand tons ](by destination of recycling use)

Domestic
112

53.8%

Export
91

43.4%

66.0%

Domestic Fiber(from PET bottles) 6 2.8%

PWMI Newsletter 7

54

Plastics production and waste discharge
Resinproduction

Domestic plastic
products
consumption

Total plastic
waste
discharge

10 kt

10 kt

10 kt

10 kt

%

10 kt

%

1995

1,403

979

884

443

50

441

50

1996

1,466

1,081

909

455

50

454

50

1997

1,521

1,136

949

478

50

471

50

1998

1,391

1,020

984

499

51

485

49

1999

1,457

1,081

976

486

50

490

50

2000

1,474

1,098

997

508

51

489

49

2001

1,388

1,096

1,016

528

52

489

48

2002

1,385

1,057

990

508

51

482

49

2003

1,398

1,101

1,001

513

51

488

49

2004

1,446

1,136

1,013

519

51

494

49

2005

1,451

1,159

1,006

520

52

486

48

2006

1,445

1,120

1,005

508

51

498

50

2007

1,465

1,103

994

502

51

492

49

2008

1,345

1,089

998

502

50

496

50

2009

1,121

843

912

444

49

468

51

2010

1,270

970

945

459

49

486

51

2011

1,159

987

952

465

49

486

51

2012

1,054

960

929

446

48

482

52

2013

1,060

966

940

454

48

486

52

2014

1,061

977

926

442

48

483

52

2015

1,086

964

915

435

48

480

52

2016

1,075

980

899

407

45

492

55

2017

1,102

1,012

903

418

46

485

54

2018

1,067

1,029

891

429

48

462

52

Year

Domestic waste

Industrial waste

8Change in Utilized Plastic Waste
by Amount and Rate Over Time2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018Year
Total Plastic
waste
discharge(10kt)

997 1,016

990 1,001 1,013 1,006 1,005

994

998

912

945 952

929

940

926

915

899

903

891

Utilization
amount(10kt)

461

513

516

541

575

582

688

692

733

689

723

744

744

767

768

763

759

775

750

Utilizationrate(%)

46

50

52

54

57

58

69

69

73

75

77

78

80

82

83

83

84

86

84

100

1,200

1,100

1,000

90

800

80
％

700
70

600

500
60

400

300

50

200

100

0

40
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Mechanical Recycle

Feedstock Recycle

Energy Recovery＊Incineration without power genaration or heat utilization facility

9Incineration＊

Landfilling

Utilization rate

︵ ︶utilization rate

︵ 10 ︶
Disposal and recovery
kt

900

Business Overview
History
Originally founded in December 1971
as the Plastic Management Research
A s s o c i a t i o n , t h e P l a s t i c Wa s t eManagement Institute (PWMI) received
its current name in July of the following
year as operations expanded. For the last
40 years or so, PWMI has endeavored toresearch and develop technology for the
optimal processing and effective use ofplastic waste and to publicize its findings.
In addition, PWMI has changed into a
general incorporated association as a resultof Laws Related to the Reform of the
Public-Interest Corporations System(enacted in December 2008). As a resultof this change, PWMI’s objectives were
newly established in April 2013 as“surveying and researching the recyclingof plastic waste and contributing to a
reduction in environmental load by the
total recycling of plastic, and helping
plastic-related industries to expand theirbusiness soundly and contributing to thecreation of a society capable of sustainablegrowth.”application to carbon footprint systems,
etc. It also works to solve technical issues
so that the effective use of plastic waste
can be evaluated by LCA.
(2) Preparation of the Flowchart of Plastic
Products, Plastic Waste and Resource
Recovery and ongoing improvements to
its accuracy
PWMI strives to obtain a clear understanding of the entire lifecycle of plastic
from its production stage to its disposal
and R&R and to prepare and provide ahighly accurate flowchart of this process.
(3) Support of environmental education
PWMI continues to hold instructor
training courses and on-site classes andworks to raise the level of consciousness
in society regarding the usefulness ofplastic. In addition to holding on-siteclasses on plastic R&R at primary andmiddle schools especially in Japan’s Kanto
region, PWMI will honor as much as
possible requests for instructor training
courses in line with new teachingguidelines and for lectures at universities
specializing in environmental science.

Business Content

Members (as of January 2020)(1)Survey and research the generation,
recycling, and disposal of plastic waste
and promote the appropriate use of plastic
waste through various means including
techniques for evaluating environmental
load(2)Support the education and study of therecycling of plastic and plastic waste andengage in related public relations activities(3)Interface and collaborate with domestic
and foreign institutions in the plastic andplastic-waste industries

Regular members: 17 corporations and 3
organizations
Supporting members: 3 organizations
Regular members
Asahi Kasei Corp.
Dow-Mitsui
PolychemicalsAuditors
Co. Ltd.
General Meeting
Japan Polyethylene Corporation
Japan Polypropylene Corporation
JNC
Corporation
Board of Directors
Kaneka Corporation
Maruzen Petrochemical Co., Ltd.
Steering Committee
NUC Corporation
Prime Polymer Co., Ltd.
Committee on
Shin Dai-Ichi Vinyl Corporation
General Affairs
Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
Committee on Surveys
and Research
SunAllomer Ltd.
Taiyo Vinyl Corporation
Committee
Tokuyama Sekisui Co.,
Ltd. on Public
Relations andEducational
SupportTosoh Corp.
Ube-Maruzen Polyethylene Co., Ltd.

(Trade organizations)Japan Petrochemical Industry Association
The Japan Plastics Industry Federation
Vinyl Environmental Council
Supporting members
Japan PET Bottle Association
Japan Expanded Polystyrene Association
Japan PVC Environmental Affairs Council
Directors
Chairman: Morikawa Kohei
Vice-Chairman: Yokota Hiroshi
Executive Director: Ida Hisao
Directors: 10
Auditors: 2

Organization
General Meeting

Auditors

Board of Directors

Chai

Vice-Ch

Steering Committee

Executiv

Committee on
General Affairs

Secretar

Activities
The three core activities of PWMI aresummarized below.
(1) Provision of life cycle assessment(LCA) base data and LCA evaluation ofrecycling & recovery (R&R) technologies
PWMI provides scientific and highreliability data for widespread use byrelated industries and general citizens for

Plastic Waste Management InstituteWebsite: https://www.pwmi.or.jp
February 2020 700

10Committee on Surveys
and ResearchCommittee on Public
Relations andEducational Support

Chairman

Advisors

Vice-Chairman

Executive Director

Secretary General
General Affairs and Public
Relations Department
Surveys and Research
Department

KAYABACHO SQUARE BLDG.9F 3-7-6 Nihonbashi-Kayabacho,Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0025, Japan
Tel: +81-3-6855-9175~7, Fax: +81-3-5643-8447