PET Bottle Recycling Rate "Highest in the World"--Achievement and Background in 2001

PET Bottle Recycling Rate "Highest in the World"--Achievement and Background in 2001

In FY2000, Japan's PET bottle "recycling rate" reached 34.5%, which the Council positioned as the "world's highest level. The number of municipalities implementing separate collection increased rapidly (2,340 municipalities in FY2000, or about 72.5% of the nation's total), and on the institutional front, the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law came into full effect in 2000. The upward trend was clear, with an upward swing to the 44% level expected in the following fiscal year.

In international comparisons, the U.S. and Europe at the time were generally around 20%, with Japan a step ahead (e.g., 22.3% in the U.S. and 22.0% in Europe). On the other hand, it is important to note the definitions of the figures. The use of "collection rate" and "recycling rate (recycling rate)" differs among countries, and it has been pointed out that a single collection method tends to lower the yield rate that is actually sent to the recycling process. The figure for Japan is the "recycling rate (ratio of recycled volume)" published by the Council, and reflects the results of the development of the system and the establishment of sorting.

Three factors have supported the rise. First is the cross-industry rules and cooperative framework (PET Bottle Recycling Promotion Council), including design guidelines and the expansion of designated items. Second is the Japanese-style division of roles, with municipalities responsible for sorted collection and businesses for recycling, based on the sorting behavior of consumers (Containers and Packaging Recycling Law). Third is the development of a domestic recycling system. The Council's data and annual report summarize that this system has led to an increase in the amount collected and recycled.

However, the challenges were also clear at the time. These include profitability, which is easily affected by international market conditions for recycled resin; the expansion of high-value-added applications, including bottle-to-bottle; and the difficulty of making international comparisons due to differences in definitions. These issues were later carried over to the development of the system and market, and the collection rate continued to rise after 2000, with some studies showing that it exceeded 90% in later years.

In short, around 2001, the "system (law) x sorting (citizens) x receptacles (industry)" meshed, and Japan's PET bottle recycling leapt to the world level. Looking at the mechanism and definitions behind the figures, it can be summarized that Japan's strength lies in "thorough sorting and stable recycling flow," while "expansion of profitability and high quality recycling" remain as the remaining homework. The remaining homework was to "expand profitable and high quality recycling.