Hitachi and Sekisui complete pilot for recycled plastics and materials marketplace

Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd., and Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. have announced the successful completion of a pilot project for a new “Recycled Materials Marketplace System” designed to enhance the use of recycled plastics and other materials. This innovative system aims to facilitate the matching of buyers and sellers of recycled materials, promoting a circular economy. The companies plan to commercialize the system by the 2025 fiscal year.

The Recycled Materials Marketplace System offers an online platform where buyers seeking recycled materials as raw inputs can connect with sellers looking to recycle waste materials. Key features of the system include a beginner-friendly matching support function that uses artificial intelligence and expertise in recycled materials, a professional-grade matching support function leveraging Materials Informatics solutions, and advanced sensing, measurement, and analysis technologies for molding support and quality control of recycled materials.

The system was developed collaboratively by Hitachi High-Tech and Hitachi. Hitachi High-Tech brought its expertise in plastic materials and core measurement and analysis technologies, while Hitachi contributed its advanced digital technologies, including Materials Informatics and generative AI. Sekisui Chemical provided waste materials from its manufacturing processes and offered feedback from a user perspective to help validate the system’s utility.

During the pilot project, the recycled materials’ quality and performance were then assessed using analytical equipment from Hitachi High-Tech. Hitachi uploaded the quality and performance data to the system, allowing buyers—primarily product manufacturers—to evaluate the suitability of these recycled materials for their products. The successful completion of this comprehensive process validated the system’s effectiveness.

The need for effective recycling and reusing waste from production processes is growing among product and material manufacturers. However, recycled materials derived from waste often exhibit less stable quality and supply compared to virgin materials. This variability, coupled with the requirement for specialized knowledge and effort, has made it challenging to match buyers and sellers of recycled materials. The new system is promising to address this barrier. With the pilot’s success, the companies are moving forward with plans to commercialize the service by the 2025 fiscal year.