A consortium comprising industry, government, and academic representatives in Japan has established targets for increasing the use of recycled plastic in automobile production. The group aims to incorporate over 15% recycled plastic by 2031 and over 20% by 2036, aligning with anticipated European Union regulations.
The initiative involves the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, the Japan ELV Recycler’s Association, the Japan Plastics Industry Federation, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of the Environment, and academic experts. The action plan, which includes these targets, was approved during a meeting at the Environment Ministry.
Plastics are commonly used in automotive components such as bumpers and engine covers, with Japan’s annual automotive plastic consumption reaching approximately one million tons. However, the adoption of recycled plastic in vehicle manufacturing has been limited. To increase recyclability, the plan emphasizes designing vehicles with recycling considerations in mind.
Under the plan, the government intends to support capital investment and pilot projects while facilitating a supply chain for recycled plastic among automobile manufacturers, dismantling companies, and recycling organizations. The annual supply of recycled plastic from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) is expected to reach 21,000 tons by 2030. The plan also aims to incorporate plastics from other sources, increasing total supply to 25,000 tons by 2031, 157,000 tons by 2036, and 200,000 tons by 2041.
The European Parliament is currently discussing draft regulations that would require at least 20% of plastic used in vehicle manufacturing to be from recycled sources, with implementation expected as early as 2031. The proposed regulation would include plastic waste from manufacturing processes in the overall percentage. The consortium’s plan, which factors in these materials, is expected to support compliance with the EU requirements.
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