Shizuoka pilot turns waste tea grounds into sustainable food trays

Fuji City-based manufacturer Kocho Co., Ltd. has launched a pilot programme to test food trays made from upcycled tea grounds. This is a collaboration with Shizuoka University and Toyo Resin to establish a regional circular economy model by repurposing agricultural waste into functional products for the food service industry.

The project is part of the FY2025 Shizuoka Prefecture Cellulose Circular Economy Business Demonstration Project. The participating entities formed the Resource Circulation Consortium Utilizing Waste Tea Grounds to develop the trays, which utilise dried tea waste as a primary component. The demonstration phase runs from 23 January to 1 February 2026 across five commercial locations in Shizuoka Prefecture. These locations will use the tea-based trays in their daily operations to evaluate their practical performance and consumer response.

Kocho, which traditionally specialises in the production of pet sheets and cat litter, is applying its technical expertise in absorbent and fibre-based materials to address broader environmental challenges. The company operates this project under its social-issue-solving brand, Kocho’s Happy Cycle Action, which focuses on creating a product cycle that eliminates waste, viewing social issues as subjects that require “care.”

The results of the pilot will inform future efforts to scale the technology and expand the range of upcycled products available to the Japanese market.