Measuring the Readiness of Plastic Packaging and Containers Recycling Technologies in Japan with J-TRA Methodology

抄録

The rapid growth of the use and disposal of plastic materials has proved to be a challenge for our environment. In 2019, Japan’s domestic plastic waste was 8.5 million tons which are comprised of 4.12 million tons of general plastic waste and 4.38 tons of industrial plastic waste. While the production of industrial plastic waste seems to be slightly higher, compared to the 2018 data, the growth of general plastic waste is actually 1.7% higher than industrial plastic waste (3.9%). In response to China’s import ban on plastic waste trade flows in 2017, the Japanese government established the resource circulation strategy for plastic waste aiming to recycle or reuse 60% of plastic containers and packaging by 2030. The plastic waste recycling technology is dominated by materials recycling (MR) and chemical recycling(CR) methods. As the recycling of plastic waste plays a vital role in the future for the various industrial sectors, industries will need to consider various recycling options for their products based on compliance with current legislation, the business model, and cost-effectiveness. In this study, we identify the readiness level of plastic container recycling technologies in Japan by assessing some MR and CR plastic recycling technologies used in Japanese companies by employing the Japan Technology Readiness Assessment (J-TRA) methodology.