Containers and Packaging
Recycling System in Japan

Today’s Contents
1. Background
2. Scheme of Containers andPackaging Recycling Law
3. Plastic Container and Packaging
Recycling
4. Activities of Waste Prevention
5. Conclusion

Today’s Contents
1. Background
2. Scheme of Containers andPackaging Recycling Law
3. Plastic Container and Packaging
Recycling
4. Activities of Waste Prevention
5. Conclusion

Background of legal framework
Keywords are “final disposal site”, “60%” and “Germany”.
 When the law was established(1997), landfill sites would
have reached their capacity in 7 to 9 years if nocountermeasures were taken.
 As containers and packaging accounted for approx. 60% (involume) of domestic waste, it was decided to take action.
 Germany started recycling containers and packaging in 1991
(4 years before the enactment of the containers/packaging
recycling law), and Japan decided it could not fall behind
other countries.
3

Waste generation in Tokyo (23 Cities Area)
14,000,000

6,000,000

1997 Establishment
1999 Enactment(population)(tons)

12,000,000

5,000,000
ごみ量MSW volume
人口Population

10,000,000

4,000,000

8,000,000

3,000,000●End of WWII

(Year)2010

2005

2000

1995

1990

1985

1980

1975

1970

1965

1960

1955

1950

1945

1940

1935

1930

1925

0
1920

2,000,000
1915

1,000,000

1910

4,000,000

1905

2,000,000

1900

6,000,000

4The remaining capacity of landfill sites across Japan was
only 8.5 years when the law was enacted.

5Ratio of containers and packaging in household waste（FY2012, in volume）
Paper
13.1%

Non-containers andpackaging
46.2%

Containersandpackaging

Plastic

53.8 %

36.5%

Glass
1.3%

Other

Metal

0.1%

2.9%

(Source: Survey on use and disposal of containers and packaging waste by the Ministry of the Environment)

6Today’s Contents
1. Background
2. Scheme of Containers andPackaging Recycling Law
3. Plastic Container and Packaging
Recycling
4. Activities of Waste Prevention
5. ConclusionPurpose and features of the law• It aims at household waste reduction and effective useof resources by developing a recycling program ofcontainers and packaging waste discharged as
general domestic waste.

• It clarifies the division of responsibilities:
service providers are responsible for recycling.
(extended producer responsibility)

8Classification of waste
Municipal WasteWaste

Waste other than industrial
waste

Containers &Packaging Waste

Household Waste
Commercial Waste

Industrial Waste
20 items including sludge, plastic waste,
waste oil, C&D debris, etc.

Specially Controlled Municipal/Industrial Waste
Hazardous wastes, such as PCBs, asbestos, infectious waste, etc.

9Roles and responsibilities※Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR)

Consumers*Source separation inaccordance withmunicipal rules.
* Reduce waste.

Purchase,Source
separation

HouseholdSpecial business
operators
・Responsible for recycling cost・Reduce containers andpackaging that will becomewaste.

Productionanddistribution
Companies

Municipalgovernments

Recycling service
providers* Collect, sort out andstore waste containers
and packaging.

* Take used containers andpackaging and manufacture
new resources.

Collection
Municipal
Governments

Recycling
Recycling
Plants
10Companies

Produce plastic
containers.

Recycling plants

Collect them.

Eat food.

Produce raw
materials.
Discharged
in appointedday(s)

Purchase

Pack goods.

Municipalities

Households

Rinse containers thatcan be cleaned easily

Transport

Separate whatcannot be recycled.

Pallet-making
plant

Pallet-making
plant
Sell food.

Keep them temporarily.

Iron-making
plant

Chemicallydecompose themfor use.

Press them into blocks
and store them.

11

ＥＰＲ （Extended Producer Responsibility ）EPR was defined by the OECD. It is an environmental
policy approach of extending physical and financial
responsibilities fully or partially to manufacturers who
most affect the design and manufacturing of products
including containers and packaging.
EPR was introduced to Japan when the responsibilities
for containers and packaging waste disposal, whichmunicipal governments used to have, were partiallytransferred to business operators based on theenforcement of the containers ad packaging law.

Who is responsible for recycling?
＜General case＞ Business operators that newly use the target containers and packaging
are responsible for recycling.
Product manufacturer
and distributor

Container manufacturer
and distributor

Responsibility forcontainer manufacturing

Containers

Beverages
Beverage manufacturing plant(beverage manufacturer)

Meal boxes

Consumer

Wholesaler

Retailer,convenience store, etc.
Shopping bags

Responsibility forusing containers(meal box)
Boxed meal producer(food manufacturer)

Trays and containers
for prepared food,shopping bags

Retailer
Responsibility
for usingcontainers(shopping bags)

Responsibility
for usingcontainers(beverages)（(bottles, PET bottles,meal boxes, shopping bags)
Container
manufacturing
plant(Wholesaler)

Boxed meals

Prepared food madeby supermarkets

Responsibilityfor usingcontainers（trays andcontainers for
prepared food,shopping bags)
Supermarkets

Containers andpackaging wastefrom families(recycling)

Shopping bags

Prepared food13

What are Containers and Packaging?
Amount of separated collection of containers and packaging
recycling in all municipalities (FY2013)

Classification of containers andpackaging
Steel containers
Aluminum containers
Paper containers for beverage
Corrugated cardboard（no color）
Glass（brown）
bottles（other colors）

Amount ofsortedcollection（in 1000 tons）
194
131
14610326273201302
PET bottles
91
Paper containers and packaging
上記10品目合計（287.9万トン）
Plastic containers and737
packaging

6 products for obligatory recycling（1,931,000 tons）（Source） ”Newsletter: changes in ratio of sorted collection of all municipalities in 2013 after enforcement of Container and Packaging Recycling Law”
The Ministry of the Environment（March 9, 2015）14

Recycling Flow
Special business
operator(food manufacturer)

Consumers

Sourceseparation
based onidentifying mark.

Provide products.

Special business operator(plastic container manufacturer)

Deliver containers.

Payment forrecycling cost
(performance ofobligation)

Sort out andcollect usedcontainers.

Payment forrecycling cost
(performance ofobligation)

The Japan Containers andPackaging Recycling Association
Payment forcommission

Business
contract

Municipalities

Competitive bidding

Delivery of bale products collected
at designated storage facility(*Recycling service operator transports to plant.)

Distribution ofrecycled
products

Recycling
companies

Manufacturingof products
using recycled
products.

15

Case of Meguro CityResidents

Collection andTransportation
Shinagawaby Meguro city
Unyu(Compressing/baling)

MM Plastic(MaterialRecycling)Role of Local Government
Showadenko(ChemicalRecycling)

Source: Sinjuku city

Role of producers of products
using containers and packaging
16

Trend of Trade Volume
Plastic containers and packaging
(ton)

‘00

‘01

’02

’04

’06

‘07

’08

‘09

’10

‘11

’12

’13

’14 (FY)17

Trends in Bid Prices（weighted average）（円／トン）
JPY per ton

120,000
ガラスびん（無色）Clear glass bottles(clear)Brown glass bottles
ガラスびん（茶色）60,000

Other glass bottles
ガラスびん（その他の色）
PET bottles
ＰＥＴボトル紙PaperWith no逆有compensation

償With

プラスチック（平均）Plastic (average)0

Plastic containers and packaging
プラスチック（材料リサイクル白色(excluding white trays)
トレイ以外）
プラスチック（ケミカルリサイクル）

有compensation
償

Plastic (chemically recycled)▲ 60,000(FY) 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

(c.f.）net prices（source）Created by METI in accordance with data published on the home page of
the Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association18

Today’s Contents
1. Background
2. Scheme of Containers andPackaging Recycling Law
3. Plastic Container and Packaging
Recycling
4. Activities of Waste Prevention
5. Conclusion

Recycling Methods★There are several plastic container and packaging recycling methods.
Glass bottles●glass bottles●construction and civilengineering materials,etc.

culletFlakes and pellets
PET bottles
Raw materials for polyester
Sorting out raw papermaking material + Making fuelPaper containers
and packaging

Manufacturing building board,
Loosen fiber products of shredded
waste paper, etc.
Material recycling

Plastic containers
and packaging(Examples of recycling)+ Making fuel●textiles●sheet●PET bottles, etc.

●paper board●recycled paper board●solid fuel, etc.

Raw materials for plastic●pallets, recycled resin, etc.

Chemical raw materials
for coke oven●coke, hydrocarbon oil, gas

Blast furnace reductant●reductant for ironmaking

Chemicalrecycling
Gasification●syngas (H. CO)

Made into oil●hydrocarbon oil

Making fuel＊）（＊It is used when other methods hinder recycling.)

20

Recycling Methods
Plastic containers and packaging (FY2013)
Plastic container and packaging waste

From businesses

1,116,000 t*1

Emission from households*1 Plastic Packaging Recycling Council materials

Collected by municipal governments
Managed by municipality

659,000 t

Chemical recycling 312,000 t

RPF, cement raw fuelResidue incineration energy retrieval, etc.
Recycled materials 173,000 t
Flake, fluff, pellet

Recycled products

Industrial waste*2 Ministry of the Environment PR materials

Transferred to associations(entrusted to recyclers)Material recycling 346,000 t

737,000 t*2

Solid fuel, etc.

Click

Residue

Click

Recycled materials

264,000 t

Chemical raw materials with coke oven 175,000 t
Synthesis gas 61,000 t
Blast furnace reducing agent 29,000 t
Thermally decomposed oil 0 t

0t

Use of Recycled Plastic Containers and Packaging
Approx. 60% and 40% of recycled plastic is used for chemical recycling and material
recycling, respectively.
Plastic traded in FY2013
Recycled products and use (white trays excluded)
Miscellaneous
Trade volumeof association

Sales volumeof recycled
products ★

659,169 t

437,712 t

Chemical raw materialfor coke oven
PalletSyngasRecycled
resin
Reductantfor blast
furnace★ Actual value of plastic that was received in FY2013 and recycled by the end of June 2014.
22

Plastic Containers and Packaging:
Flow of Material Recycling
Plastic containers and packaging recycled into pallet
Pallet-making plant

Recycling plant

1. Transported torecycling plant andput into machinery.

5. Melted matter isplaced on machinery.

2. What cannot berecycled is removed andbroken into small pieces.

6. It is machinepressed.

3. Pressed into
small grains.

7. Two pressed pieces
are put together.

4. Grains are melted andsend to machinery.

8. Pallet

Source: What is the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law on Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association website

23

Raw chemical material for coke oven (conducted by Nippon Steel and Sumitomo
Metal Corp., etc.)
CoalHousehold plastic waste
Coke oven
Thermaldepolymerization
process

Iron and PVC are removed fromwaste plastic (bale) transported frommunicipalities to the recycling plantand heated at 100℃ to make intograins.

Escallop plastic at 1,200℃
in oxygen-free condition
for thermal
depolymerization.

Gas purification
process
Coal + molding

Watering coolingGas
purification

gas

Chemical material

GascoolerCoke Generated

Fuel
gas

Coke oven gas
Used at a power
plant at a steelplant.

Lightoil

Tar
Coke oven

It is mixed into coal at the ratio of 1
to 2% and put into the carbonizationchamber of a coke oven.

Separator

At a steel plant
Steel is made with cokemade from plastic!
Coke and iron ore (steelmaterial) are put into theblast furnace to make steel.

Hydrocarbon oil
Used as achemical material
at a chemicalplant.
Coke
Put into the blast
furnace and oxygen isremoved from iron ore(steel material).

The carbonization chamber isoxygen free heated to 1200℃ andwaste plastic is thermallydecomposed.
Decomposed high-temperature gas
is cooled and made into coke ovengas (40%) for power generation,hydrocarbon oil (40%) to be used asa chemical material, and coke (20%)
to be used as blast furnace
reductant.

24Blast furnace reductant (performed by JFE Plastic Resources Corp.)
Household plastic waste
Power plant(used in steel plant)

Blast furnace
Plastic
Made from linked carbon andhydrogen atoms.

Recycled plasticgrains

BlastReductant
furnace gas

Iron and PVC are removed fromwaste plastic (bale) transported
from municipalities to recycling
plants and are crushed into small
pieces and pressed to reduce theirvolume to make recycled plastic
grains.
Recycled plastic grains are put intoa blast furnace at a steel plant at
approx. 350℃ in oxygen-freeconditions.
Recycled plastic grains serve asreductant to remove oxygen (O)from iron ore (Ｆｅ2Ｏ3) in a blast
furnace to make steel.

Iron ore

Gas generated in the process isused for power generation.

Iron ore is made from linked ironand oxygen.

Coke
Hard carbon mass made byescalopping carbon in coke
oven.

25

Gasification (performed by Showa Denko K.K., etc.)
Household plastic waste
Gasification facility
Low-temperature
gasification furnace
Plastic is heated to 600 to 800℃
with a small amount of oxygenand steam to be thermallydecomposed and partially
oxidized to make gas made fromcracked gas, tar and char.
RPF tank

oxygen& steam

oxygen& steam

High-temperature
gasification furnace
Gas made in a low-temperature
gasification furnace is thermallydecomposed and partially oxidized
at 1,400℃ with a small amount ofoxygen and steam to become
syngas of hydrogen and carbon
monoxide.

gasification

Ammonia-making
facility

Desulfurization
facility

CO conversion
facilityGas purification
facility

SyngasMade into
ammonia

Gas is purified inthese facilities.

Waste plastic (bale) transported
from municipalities to a recycling
plant is crushed into small pieces
and firmly pressed.
It is then put into a two-stage
gasification furnace.
Sand heated to 600-800℃ flows
into a low-temperature gasification
furnace and waste plastic makes
contact with it to be decomposed
into hydrocarbon, carbon
monoxide, hydrogen and char(carbonized solid).
Gas generated in a lowtemperature gasification furnace is
put into a high-temperature
gasification furnace at 1,3001,500℃ and reacts with steam tobecome syngas, which is mainly
made from carbon monoxide andhydrogen.
Generated syngas is used as araw material at chemical plants
producing ammonia, hydrogen,methanol, acetic acid, etc.

26

Today’s Contents
1. Background
2. Scheme of Containers andPackaging Recycling Law
3. Plastic Container and Packaging
Recycling
4. Activities of Waste Prevention
5. Conclusion

Design for Environment (DfE)
Voluntary Design Guideline for Designated PET Bottles (1992)
Soft drinks (including milk beverages), Specific flavoring (soy sauce), Alcohol
The Law for the Promotion of Effective Resources -> products with specific labels [promotion ofsorted collection]2009 Revision of Classification system for PET bottles Bottles for soy sauce are classified as bottles
for specific flavoringCaps -> Plastic caps (PE/PP ratio must be
less than 1 and must float)
1998 Prohibited to include aluminum caps
Bottles -> PET bottles only (no color,transparent)
1998 Prohibited to include base cups
2001 Prohibited to include colored bottles
Labels -> Must be easily removable by hand
1994 Prohibition of PVC materials (to prevent
discoloration of recycled materials)
1994 Prohibition of paper labels that have glue
over entire surfaces
28 meeting of METI working group of containers and packaging
Source: Handouts used for Promotion-consortium of PET bottles (the jointrecycling,and Central Environmental Council working group for promotion of 3Rs for containers and packaging recycling, Dec. 5., 2013)（出典）PETボトルリサイクル推進協議会資料（平成25年12月5日産構審容器包装リサイクルＷＧ・中環審容器包装３Ｒ推進小委員会合同会合）

Discharge Control Effect of Regular Reporting System
 Regular reporting system
Business operators that use more than 50 tons of containers andpackaging annually (business operators that use a large volume of containers
and packaging)Obliged to report the volume of containers and packaging they use, efforts for usage rationalization (chargefees on shopping bags, encourage non-use, etc.) and their effects and usage unit of containers andpackaging every fiscal year.

 Containers and packaging reduction after introduction of regular reporting
systemUnit: ton Trend of Total Amount of Containers and Packaging Used by Business Operatorsthat Are Obliged to Submit Regular Reports

450,000

421,903400,000
389,061

346,647

350,000

342,407327,997

300,000

H19年
‘07

H20年
’08

H21年
‘09

H22年
’10

H23年
‘1129

Reduction Efforts by Business Operators
FY2012 Results of Reduction (compared to FY2004)
FY2015 target(compared to FY2004)

FY2012results

Total reduction
from FY2006Glass bottle

2.8% reduction by average
weight per bottle

2.1%

143,000 tons

PET bottle

15% reduction for all
designated PET bottles

13.0%

331,000 tons

Upward revision of2015 target from 10%

Paper containers
and packaging

11% reduction in total
amount9.9%711,000 tons

Upward revision of2015 target from 8%

Plastic containers
and packaging

13% reduction

11.5%

58,000 tons

Steel can

5% reduction by average
weight per can

4.9%

115,000 tons

Aluminum can

3% reduction by average
weight per can

3.8%

53,000 tons

Paper beveragecontainer *2

3% reduction for paper500-ml milk pack1.0%

165,000 tons

Cardboard

5% reduction by average
weight per 1 square meter

3.6%

985,000 tons

Material*1 Targets of each organization are reviewed and revised as needed.
*2 Compared to 2005. Specifications of raw paper and pack paper are compared.
Source: 2013 Follow-up report on 3R Suishin Dantai Renrakukai website

Note

Upward revision of2015 target from 4%

Upward revision of2015 target from 1.5%30

Consumers’ Efforts (shopping bags)
Trend of consumers who decline shopping bags

June2014

Sept’02 Mar‘03 Mar’04

Mar’05Source: Japan Chain Stores Association website

Mar’06Mar’07Mar’08Mar’09 Mar’10

Mar’11Mar’12Mar’13Mar’1431

Ratio of Containers and Packaging in Household Waste【1995】【2012】

In volume

In volume

60 ％53.8 ％

In wet weight

In wet weight25 ％24.3 ％(Source: Survey on use and disposal of containers and packaging waste by the Ministry of the Environment)32

Today’s Contents
1. Background
2. Scheme of Containers andPackaging Recycling Law
3. Plastic Container and Packaging
Recycling
4. Activities of Waste Prevention
5. Conclusion

Cooperation with residents for success of the law Source separation
 To set various categories
 To be practiced perfectly through residents’ cooperation andunderstanding

Photo: Toshima City34

Challenges Facing Containers and Packaging
Recycling System

 Hard to understand separation criteria inhouseholds
 No recycling scheme for plastic goods thatare not containers or packaging
 Municipality participation ratio in this system
 Cost reduction
35

Thank you for your attention!