Asahi Kasei (Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture) - Quiet chemical recycling started up from existing facilities (early 2000s)

Asahi Kasei (Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture) - Quiet chemical recycling started up from existing facilities (early 2000s)
Asahi Kasei developed a chemical recycling business at its ester plant in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture, using used PET bottles as raw material for high-purity polyester. In the early 2000s, while the amount of plastic recovered increased with the implementation of the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law, quality deterioration and application restrictions became a problem with material recycling, and expectations for high-quality recycling using chemical methods were rising. The project was characterized by the fact that it did not involve a large-scale investment in new facilities, but rather the conversion of existing facilities that had been developed to recycle the lint and scrap materials generated in the company's own processes. The process of recycling raw materials derived from PET bottles into stable, high-quality raw materials is highly compatible with the technology accumulated by chemical manufacturers, and it is practical even for local factories. This was
an advanced approach in that it positioned recycling technology as a form of raw material procurement, rather than recycling as waste disposal. As an example of a company that was able to achieve this in a regional location, it also contributed to the maintenance of employment and the sustainability of local industry, and presented a model for balancing environmental responsiveness and the local economy. Asahi Kasei's efforts are symbolic of the early stages of a chemical manufacturer's expansion of its role into the supply of recyclable materials.