Started collaboration with Shoko Chukin Bank for popularization of recycled material "CirculeX"

~Aiming to promote domestic material circulation, we will promote mechanical recycling of waste plastics in cooperation with small and medium-sized enterprises nationwide.~

TBM Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Nobuyoshi Yamasaki; hereinafter referred to as TBM) has begun collaborating with The Shoko Chukin Bank, Ltd. (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masahiro Sekine; hereinafter referred to as Shoko Chukin Bank) to popularize CirculeX, a material made from recycled material such as used plastic and LIMEX*, which contains more than 50% recycled materials.

TBM is working with local governments and private companies to build a material circulation model for collecting and recycling used plastic and LIMEX. By utilizing Shoko Chukin Bank's network, TBM will promote the spread of CirculeX by collecting, recycling, and remanufacturing waste plastic from small and medium-sized enterprises across the country, thereby contributing to domestic material circulation and the achievement of the SDGs. *LIMEX is a composite material with a dispersed inorganic filler system that contains more than 50% inorganic substances such as calcium carbonate. Because its main raw material is limestone, it can contribute to the conservation of resources at high risk of depletion, such as petroleum, water, and forest resources, which are used in the production of alternative products to plastic and paper.

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Background

Approximately 6.3 billion tons of plastic waste is discarded worldwide, of which 79% is said to be landfilled or discharged into the natural environment ^*1. The effective utilization rate of plastic in Japan is said to be about 86%, but 62% is "thermal recycling" that uses the heat generated by incineration for power generation and hot water supply, which is called energy recovery in Europe and the United States and is recognized as recycling. It is not The original recycling rate, which includes "material mechanical recycling," in which waste plastic is used as a raw material to create new products, and "chemical recycling," in which waste plastic is replaced with gas and chemical raw materials, is only about 24% ^*2. In light of the current situation where the recycling of plastics is not progressing, the "Act on Promotion of material circulation Related to Plastics (hereafter referred to as the New Plastics Act)" will be enacted in April 2022. , voluntary collection and recycling of these products are required.

^*1 Geyer, R., Jambeck, JR, & Law, KL (2017). Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made ^*2 Current status of production, disposal, recycling and disposal of plastic products in 2020 ( Japan Plastic Recycling Association)

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Integration overview

In March 2021, TBM signed a long-term loan agreement with Shoko Chukin through a capital-based loan to finance the construction of its second plant in Japan, Tagajo plant (Tagajo city, Miyagi Prefecture), as well as the purchase of equipment and working capital for the project. recycled material With the new plastic law coming into effect and the need for domestic waste plastic increasing, TBM and Shoko Chukin are further deepening their relationship and starting a collaboration to promote material circulation in Japan, combining TBM's technology for material development with Shoko Chukin's nationwide network of small and medium enterprises to create CirculeX material that contains more than 50% CirculeX material, and promote the spread of CirculeX in Japan.