"Rebirth" To make it the driving force of industry. Achieving high strength and low odor. CirculeX
The act of "discarding" that humanity has repeatedly done The time has come for an action to fulfill its purpose. Waste generated around the world, High quality without burning, using advanced technology It is recycled into materials and products.
The key to this is the high-performance recycled material "CirculeX". Through our unique blending and mixing technology, recycled material derived from household plastics The challenges were strength and odor. By making significant improvements, Equivalent to or better than virgin plastic recycled material with enhanced strength has been created.
Environmental considerations and functionality, Neither will be sacrificed. The driving force behind all industries, Next-generation recycled plastic materials.
That's CirculeX.
What’s CirculeX?
Currently, driven by the global trend towards a circular economy, the recycled plastics market continues to expand. Furthermore, in Japan, amendments to the "Act on Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources" are expected to mandate the use of recycled material for automobiles, four types of home appliances, and containers and packaging. Internationally, regulations promoting the use of recycled material in automobiles and packaging are being introduced, mainly in Europe, thus increasing the demand for recycled material from a legal and regulatory standpoint.
However, companies are facing a serious procurement challenge. High-quality PIR material (derived from industrial waste) generated in production processes is in short supply compared to demand, making procurement difficult and driving up prices. On the other hand, PCR material (derived from used plastic) discharged from households is relatively inexpensive and easy to procure, but it has quality issues such as a distinctive odor caused by food residue and insufficient strength, limiting its uses.
Amidst these challenges, CirculeX is a high-performance recycled material that fundamentally solves these problems through TBM's unique blending and mixing technology. While being an inexpensive and easily procured PCR material (PP) derived from used container and packaging plastics, it achieves strength equal to or greater than virgin plastics, as well as a significant reduction in odor. As a substitute for PIR material and virgin plastics, which continue to be in short supply and whose prices are soaring, this recycled material enables its use in a wide range of applications that were previously difficult to utilize.
News
TBM has developed "CirculeX," a high-performance recycled material derived from used plastics, using its unique blending and mixing technology.
TBM has fundamentally resolved quality issues such as insufficient strength and odor in PCR materials by leveraging its unique blending and mixing technologies cultivated in its LIMEX business and process improvements at Yokosuka circular factory. As a result, it has developed a high-performance recycled material that can be used in products utilizing PIR materials and virgin plastics, which continue to face supply shortages and price increases.
Through modifications using our unique blending and mixing technology, and improvements to the manufacturing process, Despite being a PCR material (PP) derived from container and packaging plastics, it achieves strength exceeding not only conventional PCR materials but also virgin plastics.
*Calculation method: Evaluation results from tests conducted in accordance with JIS K 7171 (flexural strength) and JIS K 7111 (Charpy impact strength) (company research). The physical properties are representative values and not guaranteed values.
With our unique cleaning technology Reduces odor by approximately 40%*
By improving the cleaning process, we have succeeded in reducing the odor of PCR material by approximately 40%* compared to conventional PCR material derived from packaging plastics. This makes it possible to use it in a wide range of products, both indoors and outdoors, including furniture, home appliance parts, and automotive interior materials, which were previously avoided due to odor issues.
*Calculation method: Odor level of molded product after heating at 80°C for 1 hour was measured using a hot-wire semiconductor sensor (company research). Physical property values are representative values and not guaranteed values.
Reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 61%*
Used plastics that cannot be mechanical recycling have primarily been used as fuel and incinerated using a method called thermal recovery, which involves burning them to recover the waste heat. CirculeX is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 6.43 kg per kg (up to 61%) compared to virgin plastics*.
*Calculation method: Calculated over the entire life cycle from raw material procurement to manufacturing and incineration. Compared to using 100% virgin plastic, assuming 100% renewable energy use in the manufacturing process at Yokosuka circular factory.
Lineup
PCR material (PP) derived from container and packaging plastics offers flexible solutions tailored to customer needs, including "high-strength + low-odor grade," "high-strength grade," and "low-odor grade." Strength and fluidity can also be adjusted according to product application. TBM is continuously developing PCR material derived from container and packaging plastics and plans to increase the variety of physical properties to accommodate a wide range of applications.
High strength + Low odor grade
Achieving both strength and low odor A high-end grade combining high strength and low odor. Ideal as a replacement for virgin plastics and PIR materials in situations where odor generation is a concern indoors and high strength is required.
*Strength can be adjusted according to the application.
[Application]
Furniture and fixtures: Chair core material, desk interior
Home appliances: base plate, back, and internal parts
Automotive interior: Internal structural materials covered with surface materials and carpets.
High strength grade
Strength equivalent to or greater than virgin plastic Our unique compounding technology overcomes the strength issues that plagued conventional recycled material (PCR materials). It possesses strength characteristics equivalent to or better than virgin plastics.
*Strength can be adjusted according to the application.
[Application]
Construction: Resin materials
Logistics/Industry: For heavy goods and automated warehouses (returnable)
Automotive: Underbody parts (for protection against mud and stone splashes)
Low odor grade
Reduces the odor characteristic of plastic packaging containers by approximately 60%. A high-end grade combining high strength and low odor. Ideal as a replacement for virgin plastics and PIR materials in situations where odor generation is a concern indoors and high strength is required.
[Application]
Logistics/Industry: Indoor containers
Enhanced Durability, Odor Reduction
High-performance plastic recycled material
Application
Conventional PCR materials derived from used container and packaging plastics have been limited to use in disposable pallets and as fillers for civil engineering and construction materials due to quality issues such as odors caused by food residue and insufficient material strength. CirculeX significantly improves upon these strength and odor issues, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, from indoor use to industrial use, where durability and odor control are crucial.
[Indoor/Interior]
Thanks to a significant reduction in odor, it can be used safely in furniture, home appliance parts, and automotive interior materials, where users come into close contact with the product.
[High Durability - Industrial Sector]
With strength equal to or greater than virgin plastics, it can be used in fields where durability is essential, such as building materials, logistics materials, and automotive undercarriage parts.
Background
Global trends in material circulation, The "obstacle" to procuring recycled material
Currently, various countries are strengthening legal regulations regarding material circulation of plastics.
In the EU, a target has been set to recycle 55% of packaging waste by 2030 based on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)*1, and in the UK, a tax system has been introduced on plastic products with recycled material content of less than 30%*2. In Japan, a target has also been set to double the recycling of plastics by 2030 based on the Plastic material circulation Promotion Act. *3
Furthermore, the amendment to the "Act on Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources" introduces a framework for expanding the use of recycled resources that contribute to Decarbonization, and indicates a policy to gradually implement mandatory use of recycled material (plan formulation, periodic reporting, etc.). Government documents clearly state that plastics are designated as a resource subject to mandatory recycled material use, and automobiles, four types of home appliances, and containers and packaging are designated as target products, with the aim of implementation from fiscal year 2026. This strongly urges the expansion of plastic recycling.
*5 Fuji Keizai Co., Ltd.: Market survey of recycled plastics and biomass plastics. *6 Markets and Markets: Recycled Plastics Market
In response to these trends, the domestic recycled plastics market is projected to reach approximately 171.9 billion yen in 2024 and approximately 325.9 billion yen in 2040, while the global recycled plastics market is projected to reach approximately 13.7 trillion yen in 2025 and approximately 23.7 trillion yen in 2032. *4 In this market environment, recycled material of high-quality recycled materials derived from industrial waste is tight in response to the rapidly increasing demand, procurement is becoming more difficult, and prices are soaring.
Through the unique compounding and blending technologies for material development cultivated in the LIMEX business and process improvement of Yokosuka circular factory, TBM has fundamentally solved quality issues such as insufficient strength and odor improvement of PCR materials and successfully developed recycled material CirculeX, a high performance CirculeX that can be used in product applications for PIR materials and virgin plastics, which are under tight supply and price hikes. CirculeX has been successfully developed for use in PIR materials and virgin plastic products.
*1 Delegation of Japan to the European Union: Overview of the EU's PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) *2 JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization): Measures against plastic packaging are progressing; the government will also introduce a packaging tax from April 2022 (UK) *3 Ministry of the Environment: Plastic material circulation Strategy *4 Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: Materials from the Secretariat of material circulation Economy Subcommittee (12th meeting) of the Industrial Structure Council *5 Fuji Keizai Co., Ltd.: Market survey of recycled plastics and biomass plastics *6 Markets and Markets: Recycled Plastics Market
