Recycling of Waste Plastic Packages under the Japanese Act for the Promotion of Sorted Collection and Recycling Containers and Packaging has been carried out through the application of both material recycling and feedstock recycling since fiscal year 2000.
This article outlines a discussion that began in January 2010 between the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry at an inter-ministerial council on appropriate recycling methods and a bidding system for the recycling of waste plastic packages. The discussion is followed by an interim report published in September 2009.

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Plastics are now being used as the principal packaging material. They are utilized for a variety of packaging and containers, including flexible packaging, sheet-mold containers and blow bottles. Compared to glass, metal or paper, plastics are a relatively new comer to the world of packaging. Flexible packaging began with the use of cellophane film, and multi-layered film packaging is now used widely as well. Sheet-mold containers were first used as consumer packs in supermarkets. The first applications for blow bottles were as containers for edible oil and liquid seasonings but these are now used in a major way as containers for beverages. Among the many functions needed for packaging materials, the gas-barrier property is seen to be the most important function. Recently, many kinds of gas-barrier materials and gas-barrier technologies are being developed for application in plastic packaging. Since packaging materials become waste after use, the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) philosophy is being taken into consideration with the design of these forms of packaging.

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There are many issues that remain unresolved and continue to be the topic of discussion where the recycling of plastics is concerned, especially in relation to targets set out in The Containers and Packaging Recycling Law.
The retail industry has positioned itself to be the closest link to consumers. This article investigates the current activities, latest updates, and possible future directions of the retail industry. Containers and various forms of packaging have three major functions : content protection, provision of marketing information and convenience of handling. Environmental friendliness must be taken into account (i.e., single materialization) when emphasizing the importance of any of these functions. Finding a balance between function and environmental friendliness is one of the forefronts in the discussion on packaging.
At the same time, policies for reducing use now hold even greater importance. The retail industry has been working on a wide variety of measures over the past 40 years, including cooperating with local consumers and governments and pursuing the concept of sustainability. The issues surrounding The Containers and Packaging Recycling Law all aim to ensure the ideas of transparency and fairness. Additionally, there is a need for more inventive design concepts that give an incentive to business entities looking toward distribution of recycled plastics and plant-based plastics, such as biomass materials. In particular, there is a need for greater discussion on institutional design for Policy Guidance on the Selection of Environmentally-Friendly Products.

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The current Japanese Recycling Act for Containers and Packaging does not provide sufficient incentives for reducing the amount of waste or shifting product design towards more environmentally sound forms. A mechanism by which business entities fulfill their responsibility regarding the disposal of waste is needed. Disposal cost should be internalized in the prices of products that use containers and packaging, and consumers who want to buy and use these products should pay this internalized price. The mechanism needs to send consumers a clear message of cost for environmental conservation (visualization) and to accentuate the appropriate shared responsibility between producers and consumers. On the national level, discussions have begun on the topic of efficient recycling systems, in which citizens can play active roles for recycling of packaging waste and non-packaging plastics. Collaboration between municipalities and businesses should be promoted, making full use of collection systems at stores and introducing sorting centers. The National Network for the Promotion of the 3Rs for Containers and Packaging has proposed revisions that should be made in the next amendment of the Recycling Act.

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Yokohama City put forward the G30 Plan, which is a collaborative effort between citizens and business entities with the aim of reducing and recycling waste. As a result of this collaboration, the amount of waste generated in FY 2009 decreased by 42% as compared to that of FY 2001. The target of the plan, reducing the amount of waste being generated, was successfully achieved.
Among various measures, since April 2005, Yokohama City has tackled the issue of waste plastic containers and packaging sorting and recycling, while also expanding the range of items that can be sorted for recycling from households. This article introduces the current state of this ongoing sorting and recycling scheme, which was introduced five years ago for plastic containers and packaging in Yokohama City. It also presents the issues this city is currently facing regarding its sorting and recycling program, and poses some possible solutions.

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This paper presents the current situation surrounding the recycling of waste plastic containers and packaging, an area that continues to face many unresolved problems especially concerning four items mentioned under the recycling obligation imposed by the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law.
The paper introduces performance data from recycling operators and coordination for the entire recycling system by the Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association (JCPRA). Some other issues that have arisen from the viewpoint of those living close to the recycling site are also included here. Based on the conclusions of the paper, the overall issues and the author′s view regarding the upcoming law revision are expressed as well.

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A quantitative evaluation regarding the mitigation effects on environmental load and resource consumption is required for various kinds of plastic containers and package recycling, including material recycling, feedstock recycling and energy recovery. This article reviews the current literature on life-cycle assessment (LCA) for plastic containers and packaging recycling and examines the effects of various kinds of recycling on carbon dioxide (CO₂) mitigation. The problems surrounding LCA of plastic containers and packaging recycling are also reviewed here. Findings show that the results of LCA depended on the setting of system boundaries and replaced products.

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Ten years have passed since the start up of recycling scheme for plastic containers and packaging waste other than PET bottles, by the full enforcement of the Act on the Promotion of Sorted Collection and Recycling of Containers and Packaging. This paper outlines the recent discussions on pending issues that have arisen since the Act was revised in 2006, including a comparative assessment of recycling technologies, recycling of waste plastic products, and traceability of recycled products. Based on a critique of the 3Rs for plastic waste, the author proposes that discrimination, sorted collection and segregation of plastics need to be consistent with recycling technologies. It is suggested that sorting according to the properties of the various waste plastics would be better than sorting according to the Act′s current criteria. Four alternative scenarios for sorted collection and recycling technologies for household plastic waste are proposed in the paper, listing both their advantages and disadvantages.

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In Japan, management of general waste comes under the affairs of the municipal government, and municipalities are also responsible for the recovery of any resources contained within the waste.
As resources that are recovered are then circulated over a wide area, it is important for the prefectural governments to play a key role in connecting regional material-cycles with the inter-regional ones. New policies, which include the establishment of new recycling systems, should be taken into consideration for the development of a Sound Material-cycle Society in each municipality.

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