2025 The Future of the Polyvinyl Chloride Cycle - Current Status of Falling Short of the 2002 Numerical Target of 50

2025 The Future of the Polyvinyl Chloride Cycle - Current Status of Falling Short of the 2002 Numerical Target of 50
In 2002, the Japan Vinyl Chloride Industry and Environment Association set a numerical target to increase the recycling rate of used PVC products to 50%, which attracted attention as a symbolic attempt to create a recycling-oriented society. Vinyl chloride is widely used for flooring, wall materials, piping, etc., and the hydrogen chloride and dioxin generated at the time of its disposal were causing social concern, so it was considered essential to achieve both recycling and a reduction in environmental impact. At the time, the Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-based Society and the Construction Recycling Law were in effect, and resource recycling and greenhouse gas reduction were international issues before the Kyoto Protocol came into effect.

More than 20 years later, in the year 2025, the amount of waste plastic discharged has remained in the range of 7 to 8 million tons per year, and the effective utilization rate has reached nearly 90%. However, most of this is thermal recovery, i.e., heat recovery, and material recycling remains at around 25% of the total. As for PVC products, the recycling rate is only about 30%, and the target of 50%, which was set in 2002, has not been reached.

On the other hand, related technologies and policies are progressing: In 2022, the Law for Promotion of Recycling of Plastic Resources came into effect, promoting the recycling of plastic window frames and flooring materials for construction. Technology to remove foreign substances and lead stabilizers is being established, and chemical recycling is also being attempted in cooperation with blast furnace makers to utilize PVC waste as reductant. These technological innovations are showing new possibilities for inter-industry recycling linking the steel and plastics industries.

Although the numerical targets set in 2002 have not been achieved, the accumulation of efforts over the past 20 years has laid a solid foundation, and the vinyl chloride cycle continues to take on the challenge of deepening the recycling-oriented society.