Toyama upcycling project gives industrial PVC scrap new life as goods

Industrial hose manufacturer Toyox Co., Ltd. is collaborating with the University of Toyama for a circular economy project to transform factory waste into consumer products. The project is titled “Hose Laboratory”, and brings together company personnel, Associate Professor Yukio Arita from the university’s Faculty of Art and Design, and design students to develop functional items using production offcuts.

Industrial hose production for sectors such as food processing and pharmaceuticals inevitably generates offcut materials, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and resin pellets. While these materials maintain their physical durability and utility, traditional production pipelines often treat them as scrap. Hose Laboratory originated as part of BACCAIng, an upcycling project led by Toyama Prefecture and the Toyama New Century Industrial Organization to build regional resource circulation models. Toyox has been involved with BACCAIng since 2024.

The collaborative team upcycles the industrial scrap through design-driven manufacturing. Students and researchers work directly with raw PVC offcuts to develop practical homewares and everyday goods, including coasters, cord clips, and skipping ropes. The team doesn’t see their project as merely treating material recovery as a technical recycling task, and emphasises visual refinement and functional use to create lasting product value.

The project team documents its design iterations, prototyping challenges, and discussions on an official Instagram account established in April 2026. They actively share the development process publicly, thus maintaining transparency about industrial waste streams while raising awareness of circular design practices among local communities.

Takao Nakanishi, President of Toyox, shared, “Through collaboration with the University of Toyama, we will redefine the value of offcuts and accelerate sustainable manufacturing.” Associate Professor Yukio Arita highlighted the educational and creative potential of the partnership: “In Hose Laboratory, together with Toyox and students studying design, we will creatively and positively explore the new possibilities that industrial waste holds.”

Hose Laboratory plans to establish a lineup of seven upcycled product categories within fiscal year 2026. Longer-term goals include integrating these upcycled items into educational workshops for local elementary schools, incorporating the development process into factory tours, and establishing regional contribution models linked to material recovery.