Question: CLOMA has come out with an action plan, which serves as a road map for its activity. Could you give us some details of the plan?

Sawada: CLOMA has already started wide-ranging collaborative efforts between member companies to reduce the amount of plastic used in products. These efforts include sharing technological information that can contribute to developing alternative materials.

Needless to say, while we must give 100 percent for these efforts, this alone won’t lead to fundamentally solving the problem of plastic waste. We also need a vision to promote plastic recycling.

Question: For example, for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, a highly sophisticated recycling system has been established in Japan, correct?

Sawada: It has. But most other types of plastic waste are incinerated for thermal recovery.

If we aim to recycle all plastic containers and packaging, we need knowledge about materials, multifaceted collaboration between member companies and cooperative relationships with the manufacturing industry and the government. CLOMA’s role is to promote these things.

Strength of collaboration

Question: Japanese companies have implemented measures to address environmental issues through innovation in many areas, including materials development and promotion of recycling, not just for PET bottles. A structure for disposing of waste centered on local governments has also been established.

What kinds of efforts and viewpoints do you think are needed to develop these individual efforts into a society-wide structure and make them more efficient?

Also, one of CLOMA’s principles is to “optimize the combination of technology development and social systems to accelerate social implementation.” What actions will be needed to meet this principle?

Sawada: In my view, in order to develop individual efforts into a society-wide structure, it’s important to make all plastic containers and packaging recyclable and centralize recycling

PET bottles, typically used for drinks, do not have much content residue (when recycling), but many other plastic containers and packaging are often soiled with food residue. We need to make them recyclable while trying to reduce the burden on households.

As amounts of recyclable trash differ from region to region, it’s not efficient if different local governments recycle separately from each other. It is important for local governments to coordinate efforts and make it possible to transport recyclable waste to centralized recycling facilities.

To further advance recycling, technologies for cleaning and crushing waste materials are indispensable. Additionally, knowledge and technologies for materials other than plastics need to be linked. These are aspects where the strengths of CLOMA can be put to great use because multifaceted collaboration across industries is our forte.

At the end of July, a meeting of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), which is an international initiative to address the plastic waste issue, was held in Tokyo. About 500 people, including relevant corporate parties and experts, participated in the forum.

This organization was established chiefly by Procter & Gamble Co., Dow Chemical Co. and BASF SE. From Japan, three major chemical companies — Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp., Mitsui Chemicals Inc. and Sumitomo Chemical Co. — became members.

The 40 member companies participating in this initiative plan to invest $1.5 billion over five years. They have created an outline to facilitate infrastructure for waste management, develop products that are easier to recycle and promote the spread of such products. The outline also includes clean-up efforts to collect waste in oceans and rivers.

At the forum, P&G Vice President Virginie Helias, serving as chief sustainability officer responsible for the company’s environmental and social section, pointed out that, “Innovation is crucial to maximize the value of used plastics.”

She then called for further participation from the Japanese corporate sector, saying, “Japan has the technology to enable to reuse used plastics as resin.”

Hitoshi Ochi, president of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, said, “Contributions from Japanese companies are essential at a time when the degree of plastic waste issues in Asia is said to be the most serious in the world.”

Sumitomo Chemical President Keiichi Iwata stressed the significance of international collaboration.

“Marine plastic waste issues wouldn’t be resolved through an effort by a specific company and industry. So, the AEPW is a groundbreaking alliance,” Iwata said.

Hiroki Yokote, director of the Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Division at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, expressed a sense of expectation for the initiative.

“What’s important in promoting such measures is not implementing a restriction on economic activities. It is an attitude leading to innovation while working on collecting (waste) in an appropriate manner,” he noted.

Cross-industrial effort

Looking at the situation in Japan, there is the Japan Clean Ocean Material Alliance, which is working on addressing marine plastics waste issues.

As of July, 238 companies and organizations have become members, including Kao Corp., Ajinomoto Co., Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., Suntory Holdings Ltd, Aeon Co. and Sony Corp., in addition to the above mentioned Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, Sumitomo Chemical and Mitsui Chemicals. The organization is chaired by Kao President Michitaka Sawada.

Question: What’s your perspective on the policy package for the circular economy announced by the European Commission in 2015?

Hosoda: Frankly speaking, I saw some ideas that were familiar to me, while being surprised by some new aspects.

This policy package contains a wide range of concepts, including issues surrounding waste, recycling and a sharing economy. I found originality in that the policy places the economy and the environment in a win-win relationship since the initiative contributes not only to environmental protection, but also to economic rejuvenation.

Question: Japanese companies have remarkable technology and have also worked on methodically realizing a circular-based society.

Do you have any concerns that they would be swallowed up by the European-style business strategy?

Hosoda: Yes, this is definitely a possibility, so I think Japanese companies need to disseminate their positions and policies clearly.

Especially, regarding plastic waste issues that attract much social interest, major Western companies such as The Coca-Cola Co., Nestle SA and Unilever PLC have incorporated measures to reduce environmental burdens into their business strategies, declaring concrete targets.

I have to say Japanese companies, on the other hand, are slow to make such a move.