Which Japanese industries are moving forward with a circular economy approach?

Companies that specialize in disposable hygiene products are at the forefront of Japan’s progress toward adopting circular economy approaches. With the largest proportion of elderly adults in the world, Japan is experiencing an increasing amount of adult diaper waste. Used diapers contain a high volume of water. Therefore, burning them puts a heavy strain on incinerators, forcing a considerably higher use of energy.

Japanese company Unicharm is working towards releasing recycled diapers in 2022. Additionally, the company plans to establish more than 10 diaper recycling facilities throughout Japan by the end of 2030. The company developed technology to clean used diapers and produce recycled pulp from them. After conducting tests on a used-diaper collection and recycling system in Kagoshima Prefecture, the company decided to expand its collection scheme to Tokyo in 2020. The company points out that recycling disposable diapers will not only reduce CO2 emissions but also extend the lifecycle of pulp, consequently helping save forest resources.