Fukuoka trial to turn local plastic waste into new garbage bags

The Japan Association for the Advancement of Research and Economy (JAREC) and TOPPAN Inc. will launch a pilot project in Fukuoka City on 1 February to verify the practical use of garbage bags manufactured from recycled household plastic waste. They want to establish a local resource circulation model where waste collected from a community is processed and returned to the same region as a functional product.

The month-long trial will involve approximately 4,000 households in the Hakomatsu and Tojin districts of Fukuoka. Participants will use garbage bags containing 25% recycled household plastic and provide feedback through surveys regarding the product’s strength and usability.

Household plastic waste is a significant resource, but its quality often fluctuates due to contamination from food residue and foreign materials. These factors typically limit its recycled use to industrial items such as logistics pallets or rainwater storage tanks. JAREC and TOPPAN is aiming to overcome these technical barriers, creating optimised material blending and film-forming processes to ensure the recycled bags meet the durability standards required for daily disposal.

The project is part of “mirai@,” a public-private partnership programme promoted by Fukuoka City. The city is preparing to implement mandatory plastic waste sorting starting 1 February 2027. Following the Fukuoka trial, the organisations intend to refine the manufacturing process and expand the model to other municipalities across Japan.