Tokyo, Japan— A research and development (R&D) proposal jointly submitted by Tosoh Corporation, National University Corporation Tohoku University, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ube Industries, Ltd., Keiwa Kogyo Co., Ltd., Tohzai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corporation was recently selected by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
The proposal, titled “Developing Liquid-Phase Hybrid Recycling Technologies for Multilayer Plastic Films” was in response to a public call for proposals by NEDO for the commissioning of the project, the “Development of chemical recycling technology for the efficient use of plastic waste as a raw material for chemical products.”
This project is part of the NEDO feasibility study program on energy and new environmental technology and will be commissioned from June 2020 to March 2021.
The adopted technology treats multi-layer plastic films, which are commonly used in packaging and containers, in high-temperature, high-pressure water, to decompose only specific plastic components into raw materials. It then reuses the obtained raw materials and isolated plastics. This technology has the potential to recycle plastic films contaminated by food and other substances as is and improve the recycling rate of plastic films for containers and packaging.
The project team involved will collaborate with industry, government, and academia in this NEDO feasibility study program to explore conditions required for breaking down plastic and develop a continuous processing process to improve process efficiency. With the aim to implement for widespread future use, the project team will investigate targeted waste material and conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) when the treatment process is applied.
* Please note that this is a joint release and there may be multiple similar releases by the parties listed above.