Japan at a turning point illuminated by the flames of waste plastic, circa 2003

Japan at a turning point illuminated by the flames of waste plastic, circa 2003

Around 2003, Japan was undergoing major changes in both waste administration and energy policy. Final disposal sites were tightening, and in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai region, the remaining capacity was estimated to be around 10 years, making it difficult, both systematically and physically, to rely on landfills any longer. In addition, several years had passed since the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law was fully enforced, and although the recycling system was beginning to be put in place, there remained a large amount of plastic that was difficult to recycle as material, such as multilayer films and soiled packaging materials, and a domestic processing impasse was becoming apparent. In the past, exports to China and Southeast Asia had served as a receptacle for this material, but import restrictions were tightened around 2002, forcing the company to find a new outlet domestically, which also made the situation more difficult.

This was compounded by Japan's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2002, which made it a national obligation to achieve CO2 reduction targets. At the time, expectations for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power were gradually rising, but the scale of power generation was small and the cost was high, making it still unrealistic to support policy targets in a short period of time. Therefore, waste power generation, which utilizes existing incineration facilities and generates electricity by using high calorific value waste plastics as fuel, came into the limelight as a realistic option with immediate effect.

The decision by the Ministry of the Environment to shift to a policy of placing waste plastic power generation as a pillar of new energy sources was made against this complex backdrop. The Ministry of the Environment has decided to make waste plastic power generation a pillar of new energy sources against this backdrop. In 2003, a plan was presented to increase the total power generation capacity to approximately 4 million kilowatts, with a view to establishing 150 power generation facilities nationwide, thus marking a major shift in policy.

This policy of expanding power generation from waste plastic was also a painstaking compromise, given Japan's urban structure and the looming deadline for implementing the Kyoto Protocol, which prevents circulation based on ideals alone. This was a turning point in the development of the infrastructure for resource recycling, and the Ministry of the Environment's policy shift is still talked about today as a symbolic turning point in this process.