TBM begins collaboration with recycling equipment retailers to promote the use of recycled material procurement support platform "Maar recycled material Procurement"

- Aiming to promote the distribution of recycled material by recycled material manufacturers and develop material circulation industry -

TBM Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Nobuyoshi Yamasaki; hereinafter referred to as "TBM") has begun collaborating with Tsutawa Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; President and CEO: Junichi Tsudawa; hereinafter referred to as "Tsutawa"), operator of the B2B flea market app "tsutawal" for manufacturers, and Shoken Inc. (Headquarters: Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture; President and CEO: Ryohei Saito; hereinafter referred to as "Shoken"), seller of recycling equipment such as recycled material and grinders, to promote the "Maar recycled material Procurement" platform, which supports the procurement of recycled materials and raw materials (hereinafter referred to as "recycled material, etc.") with traceability information. By utilizing each company's network of recycled material manufacturers (recyclers and compounders), the two companies aim to promote the distribution of recycled material through "Maar recycled material Procurement," revitalizing recycled material market and developing material circulation industry.

■ Background

The growing global recycled material market

The shift from a linear economy to a circular economy is a global trend. The global recycled plastics market is expected to grow from $50.78 billion in 2023 to $88.96 billion in 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 8.3% over the forecast period*1. Individual companies have set targets for increasing the proportion of recycled material they use, but among the companies participating in the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, the top 10 brands and manufacturers by plastic consumption are expected to need to supply more than 3 million tons of recycled material per year to achieve their 2025 targets *2.
*1 https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/recycled-plastic-market-102568
*2 https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/global-commitment-2023/overview

Creation of a regional circulation model promoted by the Japanese government

In Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) formulated a "Growth-Oriented Resource Autonomous Economy Strategy" in March 2023, providing GX investment support to accelerate arterial and venous collaboration, and considering the launch of a circular economy information distribution platform. Along with the promotion of eco-design and rising demand recycled material both domestically and internationally, there is a growing need for visualization of information on substances contained in materials, as well as physical properties, processing, and quality. Furthermore, in order to realize a circular economy, the aim is to promote regional independence while creating regional circulation models that make the most of the characteristics of each region, and to promote model case projects.

■ Overview of collaboration

TBM has been working on the operation of a mechanical recycling plant that recycles plastics and LIMEX, which has one of the largest processing capacities in Japan, product planning using the recycled material "CirculeX", and collecting plastics and selling recycled plastics in Japan and overseas through collaboration with more than 100 recycling partners nationwide. In 2023, we obtained the Global Recycled Standard Certification and the Recycled Claim Standard Certification, an international certification program for recycled products, and in 2024, we started providing Maar recycled material Procurement, a platform that supports recycled material procurement.
Since its founding in Fujiidera City, Osaka Prefecture in Showa 63 as a direct sales store of Nissei Resin Industry Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of injection molding machines, Tsutawa has been proposing the plastic processing machines that customers need by utilizing its founder's half-century experience in the industry. Since the second president (Junichi Tsuda) took office in Heisei 25, he has not been limited to the plastic processing industry, but has expanded into various industries centered on the sales of plastic processing equipment, and has come to play a role as a "bridge" for the industry. Today, we provide "cheap, good, and safe" services that make use of Tsutawa's "collective intelligence".
Since its founding in 1999, Shoken has contributed to plastic recycling and waste recycling through the sale of crushers, crushers, extruders, and various recycling machinery and recycling plants by proposing highly profitable recycling machinery that meets the needs of customers at low prices. In addition, with "reliable after-sales service for 10 years to come" in mind, we conduct nationwide after-sales follow-up through in-house maintenance.
material circulation The desire of each company to develop the industry led to this collaboration. Utilizing the customer base that Tsutawa and Shoken have cultivated through their previous businesses, we will support the procurement and sales of recycled raw materials by recycled material manufacturers (recyclers and compounders) through "Maar recycled material Procurement" to promote the revitalization of the recycled material market.

・About "Maar recycled material Procurement" (official website here)

TBM provides a platform that supports the procurement of recycled material that comply with the Digital Product Passport* (hereinafter referred to as DPP). In Europe, DPP compliance will be stipulated in the Ecodesign Regulation published by the European Commission in March 2022, and is expected to be approved in 2024. As it will be mandatory for products sold in the EU to have a DPP attached, it is expected that companies selling products to Europe will be forced to take full-scale measures in the future.
"Maar recycled material Procurement" utilizes the DPP system to increase the added value of recycled material and promote the spread of traceable recycled material and products made from recycled material. "Companies that manufacture products using recycled material, such as product and molding manufacturers," and "companies that sell recycled material, such as waste plastic generators, recyclers, and compounders," register the requirements data for recycled material they wish to buy and sell within the service. Sales personnel with extensive TBM know-how cultivated through past material circulation initiatives support each recycled material transaction, enabling highly accurate matching of recycled material transactions.

*A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is an electronic record that provides access to a product's entire life cycle, from raw material procurement to recycling. By collecting data on manufacturing and its supply chain (recycled material content, GHG emissions, materials used, disposal methods, traceability information, etc.) and sharing it throughout the value chain, the aim is to enable all stakeholders, including consumers, to purchase products and materials with an understanding of their environmental friendliness.