Japan steps up recycled content, campaigners urge greater reuse

Japan is accelerating efforts to increase recycled content in F&B packaging as part of its national plastic reduction agenda. However, Hiroaki Odachi, plastic campaigner at Greenpeace Japan, tells us that the country’s packaging policies should focus on reuse to achieve a circular economy shift.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has revised its guidelines for the Task Force on Plastic Container and Packaging Resource Circulation in the Food Sector, confirming that a public–private task force will be convened to discuss and examine strategies, with a focus on expanding the use of recycled plastics.

The ministry states that the measure is introduced in response to growing international momentum to regulate plastics, including negotiations on a global treaty and regulatory developments in the EU that condition market access on the use of recycled materials.

Odachi tells Packaging Insights that by leveraging reuse-focused policies, Japan can further reduce plastic use and implement measures aligned with its existing strategic framework.

He asserts that scaling reuse systems should be taken as a core strategy, which has been proven to be “one of the most effective ways to achieve systematic shift.” 

“We need to create an economy that isn’t fuelled by the throwaway culture on top of cutting plastic production globally,” he says. 

Hiroaki Odachi, plastic campaigner at Greenpeace Japan.He also suggests the Japanese government set up sectoral reuse quotas. “These quotas should be phased in starting from the most technologically viable sectors, including the prepared products in the F&B sector and the pre-packaged foods industries.”

Investing in reuse systems

Odachi says that Japan’s 2019 Plastic Resource Circulation Strategy sets a milestone by aiming to achieve a 60% reuse and recycling rate for packaging. 

He says that the country should leverage this target to tackle plastic pollution.

“Japan already has the Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics, which was implemented in 2022. Last year, the country introduced an amendment to the Law for the Promotion of Utilisation of Recyclable Resources. Most of the country's focus is on recycling and alternative single-use materials,” Odachi shares.

“Governments should introduce financial incentives to harmonize and scale up reuse system infrastructure, which should be prioritized over investing in recycling schemes,” he adds.

“These investments in infrastructure include, but are not limited to, the development of standardization and interoperation specifications, container design, collection and logistics, training, and washing facilities.”

Odachi emphasized that EPR for packaging should be introduced with a clear differentiation between the reuse system and disposable packaging. “Economic incentives should be created in the EPR program to facilitate individual consumers and businesses to adopt reuse systems.”

At SEMICON Japan 2025, experts also stressed the importance of reusable design, telling Packaging Insights that Japan’s policy frameworks should place greater emphasis on preventing packaging waste rather than solely on proper disposal.