Report】The 2nd ICETT Environmental Seminar "Promotion of Plastic Resource Recycling through Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration" Web Seminar was held.

Summary 

　 In order to contribute to further implementation of the Plastic Resource Recycling Strategy, a seminar was held online on Friday, September 3, 2021, for companies, research institutes, and government agencies interested in reducing plastic consumption, resource recycling, and recycling, to discuss solutions to the plastic problem based on industry-government-academia collaboration. The seminar was held online on Friday, September 3, 2021.

Background and Objectives

　 The International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT), a public interest incorporated foundation, has been conducting overseas training programs and supporting the development of environmental business by small and medium-sized companies in order to contribute to the promotion of resource recycling throughout the lifecycle of plastics. ICETT/IETT held the ICETT Environmental Seminar "Promotion of Plastic Resource Recycling through Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration" in FY2021, as in the previous year.

　 Last year, the seminar focused on the development and diffusion of alternative materials to petroleum-derived plastics, which is the arterial side of the plastic resource cycle. This year's seminar, the second in the series, focused on the use, recovery, and recycling technologies and mechanisms for plastic products as the flow from the venous to the arterial side of the resource cycle, with the appropriate use and reduction of plastic usage in mind. This second seminar focused on the use, recovery, and recycling technologies and mechanisms for plastic products, from the venous side to the arterial side of the resource cycle.

Contents

　 The 2nd ICETT Environmental Seminar "Promotion of Plastic Resource Recycling through Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration: Considering Further Embodiment with Advanced Cases in the Chubu Region" was held on Friday, September 3, 2021.

　 In the first half of the seminar, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) explained the latest information on the "Law Concerning the Promotion of Resource Recycling of Plastics," which was enacted and promulgated in June 2021 as a concrete measure for plastic resource recycling, and its future policies. Mr. Shinichi Sakai (Vice President of Kyoto Advanced Technology Research Institute, Visiting Professor of Osaka Institute of Technology, and Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University), one of the members of the council for this law, also spoke about the basic ideas and background for realizing plastic resource recycling.

　 In the latter half of the seminar, the speakers focused on recycling, including the spread of individual collection and technological development for recycling, and presented specific examples of initiatives by administrative agencies and companies. Mie Prefecture, reflecting the recent socioeconomic situation related to waste administration, formulated the "Mie Prefecture Recycling-Oriented Society Promotion Plan" in March of this year, and explained its specific efforts to promote plastic resource recycling. Kyoei J&T Kankyo Co., Ltd. is currently constructing a recycling plant in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture (scheduled for completion in September this year) to recycle plastic bottles into plastic bottles, and introduced its technological development in collaboration with other companies and its strategy to expand the recycling circle to the Chubu region. Finally, FP Corporation gave a multifaceted and up-to-date presentation on its system for making trays from trays and PET bottles, including its achievements over the past 30 years since the first store collection, challenges to new issues, and verification of the CO₂ emission reduction effects of resource recycling.

Results and Prospects

　 The seminar was distributed online and attended by 417 people (432 including lecturers and related parties) from all over Japan, mainly from Mie, Aichi, and Gifu prefectures, and received positive feedback such as "the content was rich and easy to understand. We were also able to get a sense that companies are paying increasing attention to the "Law Concerning the Promotion of Resource Recycling of Plastics," which will go into effect next year.

　 We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in this event, as well as the Chubu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Mie Prefecture, Yokkaichi City, Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City, Gifu Prefecture, Chubu Economic Federation, and all other related organizations for their support and cooperation.

Speaker / Title of Lecture

Speaker Name	Affiliation/Position	subject of a lecture
Mr. Yasuhiro Yoshikawa	Assistant Director, Resource Recycling Economy Division, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry	Current Status and Prospects of Plastic Resource Recycling - "Law Concerning the Promotion of Resource Recycling of Plastics
Mr. Shinichi Sakai	Vice President, Advanced Technology Research Institute of Kyoto; Visiting Professor, Osaka Institute of Technology; Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University	Issues and Prospects for Resource Recycling of Plastics - From the Viewpoint of 3R-Plus
Mr. Kiyooki Kobayashi	Waste and Recycling Division, Environmental Living Department, Mie Prefectural Government	Role as an Administrative Agency 】 Initiatives for Plastic Resource Recycling in Mie Prefecture
Atsushi Kanamaru	Director, Kyoei J&T Environment Co.	Activities of recyclers in cooperation with local governments] Bottle-to-bottle initiatives
Mr. Kyozo Shinya	Senior Manager, Environmental Affairs Office, FP Corporation	Recycling of plastic products: FPCO Model (Tray to Tray & Bottle to Tray)

◆ Web seminar

Opening Remarks	Seminar (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)	Seminar (Mie Prefecture)