## (g) Paper cartons

Paper cartons (except for cartons containing aluminum) are used as containers for milk, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages. The practical amount of sorted collection of paper cartons in fiscal 2008 was 15,000 tons, with 1,390 municipalities carrying out sorted collection for the year.

The amount of paper carton shipments for beverage in fiscal 2008 was 211,000 tons, with 189,000 tons used in domestic households, 10,000 tons in vending machines and restaurants, and 12,000 tons in school lunches.

The total amount of collections by municipalities, at counter shop and group collections were 57,000 tons; the recycling usages are for the manufacture of toilet paper, tissue paper and pressboard.

## (h) Cardboard

Cardboard was newly targeted by the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law in fiscal 2000 and sorted collection by the municipalities began. The actual result of sorted collection in fiscal 2008 was 554,000 tons.

The number of municipalities carrying out sorted collection accounted for 1,620, which is substantially more than in the case of plastic containers and packaging and paper containers and packaging, which were made targets of the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law at the same time. The background to this high figure is possibly the acceptance framework of cardboard has been firmly established.

Figure 2-18 Glass bottle production and volume of cullet used

Source: Glass Bottle Recycling Promoter Association

Figure 2-19 Changes to PET bottle production and volume of sorted collection

Source: Created by the Ministry of the Environment, based on materials published by the Council for PET Bottle Recycling * Figures show production volume until fiscal year 2004, and the volume of sales for fiscal year 2005 and after.

According to the Cardboard Recycling Association, used cardboard can be recycled into new cardboard about seven times.

The consumption weight of cardboard was 8.612 million tons in fiscal 2008 and collected waste cardboard rose to 8.527 million tons, the recycling rate (ratio of the weight of collected waste-paper to the consumption weight by manufacturers) was 117.2%. However, it is presumed there was an excessive import of recycled waste cardboard for about 1.25 million tons in fiscal 2008, the final recycling rate when considering this factor reduces to 95.6%.

### B. Paper

The recycling rate and reuse rate of paper in fiscal 2008 were 76.7% and 62.4%, respectively (Figure 2-23).

Although it is evident that there is a limit to the increase of the recycling rate, because some paper such as toilet paper is impossible to collect and some paper such as for books will be kept for a long time, it is still necessary to continue the promotion of sorted collection and the use of recycled paper so that the recycling rate and reuse rate are improved.

A target has been set to raise the recycling rate of paper manufactured in our country to at least 62% by fiscal 2010, in accordance with the Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources.

Figure 2-20 Changes to recycled PET resin use by type

Source: Created by the Ministry of the Environment, based on materials published by the Japan Containers And Packaging Recycling Association

Figure 2-21 Steel cans: consumption weight, recycled weight and recycling rate

Note: Steel can recycling rate (\%) = Weight of steel cans recycled (t) / Weight of steel cans consumed (t)

Source: Japan Steel Can Recycling Association