The Plastic Resource Circulation Act came into effect in April 2022. This Act addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics (i. e., from product design to plastic waste disposal) by involving all stakeholders in the promotion of “3R+Renewable”. The goals for this concept include: to increase circularity and stipulate measures such as sorted collections and recycling by municipalities, promote environmentally friendly design by businesses, reduce the use of plastic products, and to inspire voluntary collection and recycling. As a means of achieving the milestones specified in the Plastics Material Cycle Strategy, there has been national support to local governments through special allocation tax measures, the Program for Supporting Municipalities to Promote Plastic Resource Circulation, demonstration projects for conversion to renewable resources and social implementation, and the introduction of equipment for the advancement of recycling technology and equipment. The Japanese government is dedicated to working toward strengthening its domestic disposal systems, promoting support to regional environmental offices according to the circumstances of each region, and accelerating efforts for plastic resource recycling.

This paper describes the horizontal mechanical recycling of pouches that is currently under development. Pouches are widely used in Japan, mainly for refills, and although there is an advantage in that they use less plastic than plastic bottles, they have the disadvantage of being less recyclable because they are composed of various types of plastics laminated together.With the aim of horizontal recycling of LLDPE, the main plastic used in pouches, technologies to remove contaminants (removal of Al foil with a metal detector, removal of Ny and PET by LF) and to nullify the remaining contaminants (compatibilization of Ny and PET, optimization of film forming conditions, optimization of container layer composition) have been developed. In May 2023, after achieving necessary and sufficient conditions, a new refill pouch for laundry detergent which uses this recycled material has been created.

The authors are developing a digital platform for plastic resource circulation. Aiming to establish this digital platform, as a means of ensuring the traceability of recycled plastics using blockchain technology, a prototype has been developed and a demonstration trial conducted. To raise awareness of recycling and encourage better recycling behavior, the prototype displays history information of products that use recycled plastic as well as recording the recycling activities of consumers.

　The demo process clearly shows that consumers, as well as business operators, are interested in the rate at which products are recycled and history information. Indeed, this could become one of the criteria for helping consumers purchase a product with greater confidence. The demo also confirmed that recording and visualization of activities for recovering resources from waste would encourage consumersʼ recycling behavior. In 2023, we plan to collaborate with convenience stores, beverage manufacturers, and other entities to conduct a demonstration experiment by installing PET bottle collection boxes in the stores.

As Japanʼs birthrate declines and the working population ages, robot technologyis being introduced in a wide range of fields. These include the manufacturing, medical and nursing care, agricultural, and construction industries, as well as infrastructure work sites. This is being done with the aim of solving social issues, to eliminate the problem of labor shortages, contribute to work style reform, and improve productivity. Under such circumstances, stable business continuityand efficiencyimprovement are also required within the waste treatment sector, so AI and robot technologies are being used as one of the effective strategyoptions.

　We have focused on hand-sorting work at waste recycling plants and have developed and proposed the introduction of a waste-sorting support system that uses cooperative robots with AI for the purpose of reducing the workload of workers and shifting them to work that requires more human involvement.

As a community-based retailer, Aeon has been working with customers for many years on the Bring Your Own Shopping Bag Campaign and collecting resources at stores. We recognize that building new lifestyles together with local customers is the strength and mission of a retail business that has touchpoints with customers.

From May 2021, we have been participating in Loop, a new shopping platform that uses reusable containers with the aim of further reducing single-use plastics. Loop is a collaborative effort among 1) Loop Japan GK (managing and operating the overall project), 2) manufacturers (developing durable containers and fill and refill products), and 3) retailers (selling and accepting containers for collection). As of March 2023, Aeon has handled 18 items from 11 manufacturers in collaboration with 100 stores in a total of 12 prefectures. Aggregated for the period from May 2021 to June 2023, the amount of plastic reduced was 2,247kg.

At present, the contribution to plastic reduction is limited. On the other hand, social interest is now extremely high as it brings a challenge to this new style of thinking and shopping. We aim to clear any issues identified with this initiative, such as improving efficiency by increasing collection quantities and cleaning bases by expanding the business scale.We also aim to improve the container collection rate to implement this system in society as a mechanism toward supporting lifestyles based on the concept of Eliminating the Idea of Waste^®.

In 2022, Hyogo Prefecture established the “Hyogo Plastic Material Cycles Consortium” to promote the reduction of plastic use and the recycling of resources through collaborative efforts between local residents, non-profit organizations, businesses, recycling companies, and other stakeholders from different industries. The consortium focuses on four key themes: 1. Reducing plastic consumption; 2. Encouraging closed loop recycling; 3. Facilitating efficient material cycles among municipalities; and 4. Behavioral changes.

　Plastics play a significant role in our daily lives due to their convenience and durability. Therefore, it is crucial to gain the understanding and cooperation of local residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to achieve the goals outlined in the themes 1 through 3. To address the waste issue and encourage action at a personal level, pursuing the theme 4, which is interrelated to all themes of 1 through 3, is of utmost importance. To achieve this objective, the prefecture is promoting the use of Pirika, a social media app that visualizes the progress in litter control.

　This article provides an overview of the Hyogo Plastics Material Cycles Consortium and highlights the initiatives being taken to visualize advancements in litter control using the social media app within the prefecture.

In the field of waste management, there has been an increasing trend toward utilizing economic perspectives and econometric methods to demonstrate waste reduction and recycling behaviors by residents. Policies aimed at promoting waste reduction and sorting rely upon voluntary actions taken by residents, rather than being mandatory. Japan has made significant progress in reducing municipal solid waste and advancing waste sorting. This paper organizes public awareness and behavioral changes regarding waste reduction and resource recycling from an economic perspective, and introduces future prospects.