BRING PLA-PLUS closing the loop for plastics in Japan

A Tokyo company, JEPLAN Inc., has started a platform to promote the circulatory use of plastic, across the resource’s lifecycle from collection of used plastic to its recycling, sales and remanufacture. It will also match companies that emit plastic waste with ones that wish to reuse it.

The name of the platform, BRING PLA-PLUS, is based on the idea of wanting to change plastic into something that is a benefit for the world.

The company began trials in 2012, collaborating with the Ministry of the Environment by placing collection boxes for used plastic products in various stores. Through the trial, it developed relationships with companies and associations that enabled it to develop a process to recreate the collected plastic into new products. It calls that plastic ‘BRING Plastic.’

Closing the loop for plastics in a circular economy

At the start of the recycling process of that plastic, BRING PLA-PLUS offers consulting, plastic collection and recycling solutions to companies that produce waste plastic.

For firms at the other end, it provides business solutions to enable them to use plastic sustainably. It also sells them BRING Plastic and offers advice on its use in manufacturing. The service also works as a matchmaker, connecting plastic-emitting companies with those that want to reuse it.

Promoting the use of the platform

In the future, BRING PLA-PLUS aims to hold events to promote the circulatory use of plastic products and to share information and networking opportunities. It also wants to involve consumers in a creative approach to the circular use of resources. It aims to bring together consumers, retailers and municipalities in the collection of used plastic products to further its recycling.

BRING PLA-PLUS is keen to share its consulting services with companies and associations interested in plastic collection and recycling projects. These include organizations that are considering a recycling strategy for byproducts from their production process, that want to reuse resources collected from consumers, or that have a vision of the circulation of resources and seek inter-company collaboration on that.

Joining the platform is free of charge until the end of May 2021.

Demand for circular products in Japan

In a SDGs survey that Japanese advertising company Dentsu conducted early this year, 44.4% of respondents across the nation said they were sympathetic to the idea of a circular economy, but only 28.8% intended to carry out that concept in their daily lives. This suggests that consumers are interested in participating in a circular economy but don’t know how to do so. This unmet demand for circular or recycled products in Japan is an incentive for companies to join the BRING PLA-PLUS platform.

For all of us, it would certainly be a plus if we are able to reuse the plastic that is already in the world and not create more.