Japan has traditionally exported a significant amount of PET bottles and flakes to China and other countries for recycling. For example, in 2017, Japan shipped almost 316 thousand tons of PET waste to China.

Already today, consumers and corporations in Japan collect 92.2% of PET bottles. According to recent studies, 84.8% of PET is used again. However, Japan has a limited territory, so it does not have the ability to create landfills for processing. Restrictions were imposed on the export of plastic waste to China and other Asian countries, and by 2030, Japan plans to increase the processing of PET to 100%.

Japanese beverage suppliers, such as Suntory, are working to reduce the weight of PET bottles, as well as to ensure that mineral water bottles are easily crushed. It also facilitates recycling processes.

In general, in the industry, the average weight of the bottle between 2014 and 2017 was reduced by 23.9%.

Japan will require an additional 90 thousand tons per year of PET processing capacity to be installed domestically. The country will also need to develop end-use markets for recycled PET flakes. In Japan, there has been an increase in investment in processing capacity within the country, including from Chinese companies.