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JEPLAN, INC. (Representative Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer: Masaki Takao; hereinafter “JEPLAN”) and the city of Monbetsu, Hokkaido (Mayor: Yoshikazu Miyakawa) signed a “Cooperative Agreement on the Promotion of Regional Recycling and Symbiotic Sphere” (hereinafter “this agreement”) on Friday, February 14.
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| Horizontal PET bottle recycling (bottle-to-bottle) process by Mombetsu City and PET REFINE TECHNOLOGY |
Under the agreement, PET REFINE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. (President & Chief Executive Officer, Daigo Iga), a JEPLAN group company, will recycle used PET bottles collected by Monbetsu City into new PET bottles and other raw materials using proprietary PET chemical recycling technology. By utilizing proprietary technology, the company is able to break down used PET bottles to the molecular level and remove impurities such as pigments and metals to recycle them into recycled PET resin of the same quality as that derived from petroleum. This enables the recycling of limited resources and contributes to reducing the use of new petroleum resources used as raw materials for PET bottles, as well as CO₂ emissions.
The JEPLAN Group promotes resource recycling with the mission of "We circulate our world" and aims to realize a circular economy. With regard to the recycling of PET bottles, we have been implementing initiatives related to bottle-to-bottle recycling using proprietary technologies in cooperation with local governments throughout Japan, and have concluded agreements with approximately 50 local governments (as of the end of January, 2025).
Monbetsu City has declared itself a Zero Carbon City, aiming to achieve virtually zero emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO₂ by 2050, which is considered to be a cause of global warming, and is working to realize a decarbonized society. Through this agreement, JEPLAN Group and Monbetsu City will make effective use of their human and material resources, promote resource recycling and build momentum to change consumption behavior, and work toward both local environmental conservation and local economic and social revitalization, promoting bottle-to-bottle recycling of used PET bottles and environmental education and awareness activities for citizens. We will also promote bottle-to-bottle recycling of used plastic bottles and environmental education and awareness-raising activities for citizens, among others.
In the future, the JEPLAN Group will continue to work together with domestic and overseas partners to realize its mission of "We circulate our world", and the entire group will work together to drive the circular economy.
| ■ Conclusion Ceremony of "Cooperative Agreement on the Promotion of Regional Recycling |
| and Symbiosis Sphere |
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| (From left to right) Mr. Yoshikazu Miyakawa, Mayor of Monbetsu City;Mr. Michihiko Iwamoto, Director, Executive Officer and Chairman of JEPLAN, INC. |
| ■ JEPLAN Group's efforts to promote "bottle-to-bottle" recycling |
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| （https://bringbottle.jeplan.co.jp/） | |
| The JEPLAN Group promotes bottle-to-bottle recycling initiatives in cooperation with local governments throughout Japan. Our goal is to create a society in which objects that have fulfilled their roles are no longer garbage but are recycled as valuable resources. As part of this initiative, we are implementing the "Welcome Back PET Bottle Action," an activity to collect PET bottles and recycle them back into PET bottles. In Japan, approximately 640,000 tons*1 of PET bottles are manufactured and sold annually. The recycling rate is approximately 85%*2. However, only about 34%*3 of PET bottles are recycled as PET bottles. We aim to recycle the remaining 66% of these bottles as bottle-to-bottle recycling, and are working to further promote resource recycling. *1,2,3 : PET Bottle Recycling Annual Report 2024 (PET Bottle Recycling Promotion Council) https://www.petbottle-rec.gr.jp/nenji/2024/2024.pdf |
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■ Monbetsu City, Hokkaido (https://mombetsu.jp/)
Mayor: Yoshikazu Miyakawa
【The original press release is in Japanese】