Announcement to achieve 50% Bottle-to-Bottle recycling by 2030

Target Date and Target Content

Achieve 50％Bottle-to-Bottle Horizontal Recycling of PET Bottles by 2030. (vs total PET resin usage in sales volume)

Technology and/or Business Model explanation

In 1992, beverage industry in Japan agreed to implement a voluntary design guideline (sustainability conscious guideline) of PET bottles. Through this design guideline, numerous consideration was made to ensure that PET bottles manufactured in Japan are designed with recycling prerequisite. Examples of such design guidelines are; "No color additives and PET bottles need to be clear," "Ban of aluminum closures and base-cup," etc.

Importance of "Sustainability Conscious design" is also emphasized in the new Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics. The Japan beverage industry has been recognizing the importance of "Sustainability Conscious Design" from the beginning of the PET bottle implementation in the market.Japan beverage industry has agreed and implemented the "Voluntary Design Guideline" so that the excellent recyclability of PET bottles can be fully maintained.

The industry has also been making efforts in making the PET bottle weight lighter, so that the PET resin used for PET bottles can be minimized. (24.8% lighter in weight compared to that in 2004)

In 2018, Japan Soft Drink Association made the declaration to make 100% efficient use of PET bottles by 2030.The definition of "efficient use" is to commit in 100% collection of used PET bottles and further ensure that collected PET bottles are either recycled or used for thermal purposes.

In April, 2021, Japan Soft Drink Association further declared to target 50% Bottle-to-Bottle recycle by 2030.The 50% Bottle-to-Bottle recycle commitment has the following values: (1)To enrich the quality of "100% efficient use" declared in 2018 by the expansion of bottle-to-bottle recycling, and (2)Contributing to CO2 reduction (56-63% CO2 reduction expected vs producing PET bottles from fossil derived resources) .

It is imperative to establish an effective and efficient collection model of used PET bottles to achieve the above bottle-to-bottle target. Initiatives are underway to address such challenges.

In 2020, "Bottle-to-Bottle Tokyo Project" was conducted with support from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Tokyo Metropolitan Government.The purpose of this project was to; (1)test countermeasure ideas to decrease foreign objects other than beverage containers thrown into the recycle box next to our beverage vending machines(newly designed recycle boxes with entry hole design to physically prevent foreign article entries to the box) , and (2) promote and test high level segregated collection (collection of PET bottles after caps and labels are separated from the PET bottle) at offices, schools, etc., using newly designed Recycle Station equipment.

Specific achievements and/or Target

Achieve 50％Bottle-to-Bottle Horizontal Recycling of PET Bottles by 2030. (vs resin usage in sales volume)

URL references

April 19, 2021News release URL:

http://www.j-sda.or.jp/ippan/news_view.php?kind=1&id=311

April 19, 2021 Press Conference Video on YouTube(Japanese):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxl12OGNnJA