January 18, 2025 – DIC Group and FPCO Collaborate on Japan’s First Closed-Loop Recycling System for Colored and Patterned Foam Food Trays
The DIC Group of Japan has announced the successful completion of its Yokkaichi plant in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture. This plant specializes in the dissolution and separation of polystyrene materials recovered from colored and patterned foam food trays for recycling. In partnership with FP Corporation (FPCO), DIC aims to establish Japan’s first closed-loop recycling system specifically for such trays.
FPCO, which boasts approximately 11,000 collection sites across Japan as of September 2024, is responsible for gathering post-consumer food trays and other related items from supermarkets and other channels for recycling into new trays. Foam polystyrene food trays are categorized into white, colored, and patterned types based on their usage. Previously, white foam trays could be directly recycled to produce new food trays, while colored and patterned trays, which generate black particles during the grinding process, were typically recycled as raw materials for household items such as coat hangers.
AsiaMB has learned that in August 2022, DIC announced the successful development of a novel dissolution and separation technology specifically for recycling colored and patterned trays. This de-inking chemical process effectively removes the colored components from the black particles, converting them into transparent particles. This achievement enables “tray-to-tray” closed-loop recycling, allowing waste trays to be reborn as new food trays. DIC’s Yokkaichi plant will process and supply approximately 10,000 tons per year of polystyrene recovered from colored and patterned foam food trays collected by FPCO.
Furthermore, DIC and FPCO plan to jointly develop chemical recycling technology from the 2026 fiscal year, aiming to establish an integrated closed-loop recycling system that combines material recycling with chemical recycling. Notably, in early 2024, DIC also announced the successful development of a basic technology for an epoxy resin hardener that can withstand temperatures exceeding 200°C and is recyclable, further demonstrating its innovative prowess in the field of eco-friendly materials.