Japan – BASF Japan and Mitsui Chemicals have launched a joint study to increase chemical recycling in Japan.
BASF and Mitsui Chemicals will investigate collaborative business models and various approaches to commercialize chemical recycling in Japan to meet the local challenge of plastic waste recycling through collaboration across the value chain.
Using waste to create chemicals
BASF collaborates with technology partners in its ChemCycling initiative to apply new technologies to transform post-consumer plastic trash into pyrolysis oil, which can be used as a feedstock to create chemicals. These chemicals are then employed to create new materials, such as plastics, without sacrificing quality in even the most sensitive applications. A third-party validated mass balancing technique is used to assign recycled material to these items.
Chemical recycling replaces mechanical
Chemical recycling is a supplement to mechanical recycling since it focuses on plastic waste that cannot be recycled mechanically due to technological, economic, or environmental constraints. Commercial products made using this methodology are already on the market in Europe. BASF Group intends to process 250,000 metric tons of recyclable feedstock yearly beginning in 2025, replacing fossil raw materials.
Japan’s plastic recycling efforts
Global efforts toward carbon neutrality and recycling of plastic materials have accelerated in recent years. Plastic recycling is becoming increasingly significant in Japan as well. In December 2020, the Japanese government announced a number of steps, including its “Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality,” in order to meet sustainability targets by 2050. Chemical recycling, in particular, is gaining popularity.
As part of their collaboration, BASF and Mitsui Chemicals want to expedite conversations with relevant ministries, agencies, and industry groups about the implementation of chemical recycling in Japan, as well as promote the effective and efficient use of recycled materials in the country.
