February 20, 2025 – Kashima City, Japan, and Five Companies Join Forces for Plastic Packaging Circular Recycling
On February 14, 2025, Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, along with REFINVERSE Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Toyo Seikan Group Holdings Co., Ltd., Kewpie Corporation, and Casumi Co., Ltd., signed a comprehensive partnership agreement. The collaboration aims to promote the circular recycling of plastic packaging, tackling the challenges of plastic recycling through supply chain cooperation.
The circular utilization of plastic packaging and containers is seen as a crucial aspect of achieving a sustainable society. However, unlike easily sortable materials such as aluminum cans, PET bottles, glass bottles, and cardboard, plastic containers, often made from a mix of materials, pose significant challenges in sorting, collection, and recycling. To address this, the six parties have decided to adopt chemical recycling technology, paving a new path for the circular use of plastic packaging.
The core project of this collaboration is the “Pla-relay Project,” Japan’s first pilot program for closed-loop recycling of packaging, brought together by a local government, waste collection company, chemical manufacturer, packaging producer, food manufacturer, and supermarket. The project focuses on developing a chemical recycling model specifically for the recycling of salad dressing bottle caps and lids commonly found in daily life.
According to AsiaMB, during the project implementation, public elementary schools in Kashima City will take the lead in experimentally collecting caps and lids from salad dressing bottles. REFINVERSE will handle the subsequent collection and preprocessing. Mitsubishi Chemical will then convert the preprocessed caps into chemical raw materials at its newly established chemical recycling plant, which will further be processed into plastic resins by a Japanese polypropylene and polyethylene company. Mebis Packaging, a subsidiary of Toyo Seikan Group, will utilize these resins to remake bottle caps and lids, while Kewpie will incorporate these recycled caps and lids into its salad dressing bottles. Finally, Casumi will sell these finished products at its Kashima Stadium store, bringing the plastic back into the lives of Kashima City residents and completing the closed-loop recycling process.
Upon project completion, the six parties will also provide plastic resource research and learning opportunities to public elementary and junior high schools in Kashima City, including organizing factory tours and conducting recycling education programs. Additionally, the six companies plan to jointly compile a verification report on closed-loop recycling of plastic packaging by March 2026, based on findings and feedback from the project’s practical implementation, serving as a valuable reference for future plastic recycling efforts.