Japan firms produce chemical raw materials from used medicine packaging

Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Co., Ltd. and JFE Engineering Corporation announced the successful generation of synthesis gas from used medicine packaging. The demonstration test utilised “PTP sheets,” the common plastic and aluminium blister packs used for tablets and capsules, to produce gas that serves as a raw material for chemical products. The companies confirmed that synthesis gas can be extracted stably through this process,.

PTP packaging is a composite material that bonds plastic and aluminium together. The materials are difficult to separate, so recycling them poses a challenge for conventional recycling methods. Consequently, most used medicine sheets are currently processed through incineration or thermal recycling. The recent trial sought to verify if JFE Engineering’s gasification technology could effectively repurpose these complex materials into high-value resources.

Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare began collecting used PTP sheets in 2022 across Japan through collection points. By the end of May 2026, the total volume collected reached approximately 20 tonnes, equivalent to roughly 20 million medicine sheets. While these materials were previously downcycled into items such as ballpoint pens, trays, and benches through mechanical recycling, the new chemical approach offers a more sophisticated circular pathway.

JFE Engineering applied its proprietary waste gasification technology, and successfully produced synthesis gas composed of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. This gas can be used as a feedstock for plastics and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), or as a source of hydrogen. This process is also expected to lower the carbon footprint of the pharmaceutical supply chain.

This demonstration received support from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under its Green Innovation Fund. The trial was conducted as a commissioned project with cooperation from the Ministry of the Environment and Chiba City. The successful generation of synthesis gas indicates that collected packaging could eventually be recycled back into new PTP sheets, achieving a closed-loop system.

Both companies intend to pursue further technical verification to accommodate increasing collection volumes, and plan to conduct additional tests at large-scale waste gasification plants scheduled for future construction.