TBM has set the ambitious goal of "TBM Pledge 2030" to realize Sustainability Revolution. It aims to circulate 1 million tons of LIMEX and plastic in 50 countries by 2030, and will first build a material circulation platform in Japan, with the aim of expanding the knowledge gained there overseas in the future.
Rather than remaining merely a materials manufacturer, we aim to promote resource circulation through our "material circulation production business," which promotes the buying and selling of recycled raw materials and the planning and construction of closed loops; our "material circulation platform business," which uses digital transformation to visualize traceability and environmental impact and supports efficient procurement and buying and selling of recycled materials; our "recycling plant operation business," which expands mechanical recycling plants both domestically and overseas; and our "recycled material and recycled material product development and sales business," which promotes the development and sales of recycled materials and products with enhanced functionality and material circulation value.
Why we need to circulate material
In order to achieve carbon neutrality, which is achieved by balancing greenhouse gas emissions and absorption and bringing the total to zero, there is a global demand for a transition to a circular economy that reduces the consumption of natural resources and reduces the burden on the environment. In Japan, too, the formation of a "circular economy" has been promoted for a long time under the "Basic Act for Promoting the Creation of a Recycling-Based Society" enacted in 2000.
The Fifth Basic Environment Plan, approved by the Cabinet in 2018, advocated the idea of a "regional circular symbiosis sphere" in which each region would form an independent and decentralized society while complementing and supporting each other's resources according to the characteristics of the region. The Sixth Basic Environment Plan, currently under discussion by the Ministry of the Environment, also indicates a direction to realize a circular economy by utilizing regional resources such as circulative and renewable resources to reduce the input of natural resources and the final disposal volume of waste.
On the other hand, economic growth and population growth have raised concerns about intensifying global competition for limited resources, and in the face of supply constraints on materials and resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation in Ukraine, the importance of securing stable resources within one's own country or neighboring regions and using and regenerating them efficiently has been highlighted. There is growing momentum to control the risk of supply disruptions to materials and resources through material circulation and to create a "virtuous cycle of environment and growth." Against this background, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry formulated the "Growth-oriented Resource Autonomous Economy Strategy" in March 2023. For Japan, a "resource-poor country" that relies on imports for many resources, the transition to a circular economy that uses resources in a sustainable manner could be an opportunity for economic growth and strengthening industrial competitiveness.
In this situation, about 70% (5.71 million tons) of the 8.24 million tons of waste plastic in Japan is incinerated. As it has become difficult to export waste plastic overseas, there is an urgent need to promote domestic waste plastic processing and recycling.
"Green Transformation (GX)", in which various players contribute to solving environmental problems, is seen as a new growth area, and the market size of environment-related businesses is said to be approximately 2,340 trillion yen in 2050, of which the waste treatment and resource utilization sector is expected to account for approximately 1,390 trillion yen.
*Basic Knowledge of Plastic Recycling (2022)
Strengthening cooperation with the material circulation Promotion Council
The material circulation Promotion Council, a general incorporated association with TBM as its secretariat, was established.
More than 130 members participate in the initiative, working with various actors in material circulation, including large corporations, startups, financial institutions, experts, and local governments.
Towards the realization of a circular economy
We will promote the following activities: 1) "Policy proposals," 2) "Social demonstration and implementation," and 3) "Sharing and dissemination."
For more information about the material circulation Promotion Council, click here
