In the Japanese market, the trend of replacing plastic with recycled and bio-based materials is gaining momentum. Between 2018 and 2019, the issue of marine plastic waste garnered significant attention, and the term “plastic-free” became widely used. In the wake of the pandemic, people have become more acutely aware of the critical role packaging materials play in ensuring food safety and the hygiene of other products, and restaurant chains have begun replacing paper straws with bioplastic ones. Even in the automotive industry, known for its strict regulatory standards, the use of recycled materials is now seen as an essential step forward. However, since this transition involves the entire supply chain, major companies are actively working to establish a comprehensive industrial chain—from plastic waste collection to recycling and reuse.
The Sustainable Plastics Initiative is a Japanese organization established in 2024 that is dedicated to promoting the use of recycled plastics. The initiative brings together Japan’s leading recyclers, brands, manufacturers, trading companies, universities and research institutions, and government agencies, spanning a wide range of industries including automotive, home appliances, chemicals, plastic molding and processing, and textiles. It actively works to “build a circular ecosystem for plastic resources by recycling materials sourced within Japan.”
Take Kao, a leading Japanese manufacturer of daily necessities, as an example: its plastic recycling rate has jumped from 1% in 2021 to 8% in 2024. Regarding the use of fossil-based plastics in packaging containers, Kao has set a goal to reach peak usage by 2030. Reuse, reduction, and substitution are all key directions for technological development, and the company is committed to expanding the scope of recycled material applications. As one of many plastic product companies involved in the export of molded materials, Konica Minolta—once renowned for camera manufacturing—has transitioned from being a buyer of plastic products to launching a recycled plastic manufacturing business that integrates its sensing and artificial intelligence technologies. Furthermore, in the food and beverage manufacturing sector, recycled materials from reused PET beverage bottles have become widely established in the Japanese market.
On the other hand, the use of bioplastics is becoming increasingly widespread. In the “Plastic Resource Circulation Strategy” formulated in 2019, Japan set a target of introducing approximately 2 million metric tons of bioplastics by 2030. The strategy also recommends producing bioplastics through a separation process, storing and managing them separately from petroleum-derived materials, blending petroleum and biomass-derived raw materials using the mass balance method, and properly allocating biomass inputs during the production stage. Although the number of companies obtaining “ISCC PLUS” mass balance certification is growing rapidly, widespread adoption will take some time because “ISCC PLUS” certification requires the entire supply chain—from raw materials to finished products—to comply with certification standards. Since the molding conditions and functions of bioplastics are identical to those of traditional petroleum-based plastics, “ISCC PLUS” certification will become a key driver for the widespread adoption of bioplastics.
Starbucks Japan also stated, “Compared to FSC-certified paper straws, we expect that bioplastic straws will reduce carbon dioxide emissions across their entire lifecycle and cut straw waste generated at each store in half (by weight),” highlighting the environmental benefits of bioplastics. Paper straws, which were once widely promoted, have now been replaced by bioplastic straws, a move that balances both the drinking experience and environmental impact. While paper straws were once the focus of attention as a symbol of phasing out plastic, the return to plastic use under the banner of “environmental friendliness” has now become a hot topic in the industry.
Trends in the automotive industry are currently attracting significant attention. Plastics used in automobiles, such as polypropylene and polyamide, are categorized into various grades. Even for components like bumpers—for example, in certain Toyota models—there are strict specifications regarding the materials used and their suppliers. As a result, the market has long held the view that incorporating recycled materials into the automotive industry is extremely difficult. However, since the implementation of the European End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, automobiles are required to be manufactured using a certain percentage of recycled materials, a portion of which must come from end-of-life vehicles. The entire industry, including automakers and Tier 1 suppliers, has begun making efforts to utilize recycled materials, creating the potential for a fundamental shift in the material selection process that was once taken for granted. Of course, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will also set strict standards for recycled materials and will only use those that meet these standards. On the other hand, this has created opportunities to open the door to a wider range of material suppliers. Since the implementation of the ELV Directive, uncertainty has persisted regarding the handling of post-consumer recycled (PCR), post-industrial recycled (PIR), and biomass materials, making it difficult for OEMs to clearly plan their roadmaps. At the same time, through collaboration with material manufacturers, technological development of PCR, PIR, and biomass materials has advanced, and momentum for their practical application is steadily growing. In the future, to ensure the supply of PCR materials from end-of-life vehicles, the design of automotive components for easy disassembly will also become a key objective for the industry.
Meanwhile, domestic demand for plastic products in Japan continues to decline. According to statistics from the Japan Plastics Industry Federation, Japan’s domestic plastic production in 2024 stood at 8.396 million metric tons, a 4% year-on-year decrease; this represents a 21% decline compared to 10 years ago and a 40% drop compared to 20 years ago—a significant decline. This is primarily attributed to a variety of factors, including increased imports, the hollowing out of downstream industries, a shrinking population, and the GX Initiative (Thin, Small, Reuse, etc.).
Japan’s plastic exports have stagnated at less than 4 million metric tons annually, while imports have grown steadily since 2018, reaching 3 million metric tons in 2024, narrowing the gap between imports and exports. Among these, PET is the largest imported product, with imports exceeding 980,000 metric tons in 2024, nearly half of which came from Taiwan, China. Regarding polypropylene, 20 years ago (in 2004), Japan did not import more than 10,000 metric tons from any region; by 2014, Japan was importing over 10,000 metric tons from Thailand, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia; By 2024, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and China had joined this list, bringing the total number of countries from which Japan imports polypropylene to six, with total imports exceeding 140,000 metric tons. Against this backdrop, the industry continues to explore the restructuring of Japan’s aging and increasingly uncompetitive petrochemical complexes. To ensure stable raw material procurement, a growing number of major plastics processors are also considering imported products as a supplementary source.
With the growing trend toward vehicle electrification and the increasing demand for further weight reduction, the application of engineering plastics—which offer higher rigidity, strength, insulation, and flame retardancy—is expanding. In addition to material substitution, ease of disassembly during processing is also gaining attention. Manufacturers now face the challenge of integrating these factors into their design solutions.
“CHINAPLAS 2026,” the International Plastics and Rubber Exhibition to be held in Shanghai, China, in April 2026, will bring together global plastics and rubber companies, including those from Japan, offering a valuable opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and trends in the industry.
