Our consolidated subsidiary Mebius Packaging Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Takashi Iida; hereinafter "Mebius Packaging") began a demonstration experiment at the end of June 2026 to voluntarily collect and recycle volume-reducing plastic bottles (hereinafter "volume-reducing bottles") used in disinfectant alcohol and cleaning agents used in restaurants, and regenerate them as volume-reducing bottles containing at least 25% recycled materials. We will identify issues and conduct economic evaluations to build a recycling scheme, aiming to achieve horizontal recycling of volume-reducing bottles for commercial use.
This demonstration experiment was selected for the Ministry of the Environment's "FY2026 Advanced Social Implementation Model Support Project for Plastic Resource Circulation" as part of the "Collection and Recycling of Volume-Reducing Plastic Bottles" project.
*1 Regarding the selected projects for the FY2026 Advanced Social Implementation Model Formation Support Project for Plastic Resource Circulation
https://www.env.go.jp/press/press_05165.html
A reduced-volume bottle is a container that can be folded to a smaller volume after use; it is made of a colorless single material that can be easily cleaned and is suitable for recycling. On the other hand, although it is subject to collection as industrial waste or as valuable recycling, in reality, much of it is actually treated as general waste, and recycling has not progressed sufficiently, which is a major issue.
In light of these challenges, Mebius Packaging has long been advancing the creation of systems for the collection and recycling of volume-reducing bottles. Now, with the cooperation of Watami Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Ota-ku, Tokyo; Chairman and President: Miki Watanabe, hereinafter "Watami") and Taisei Resin Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Koto-ku, Tokyo; President: Hitoshi Shimizu; hereinafter "Taisei Resin"), we are conducting a demonstration experiment aimed at establishing material flow for voluntary collection and recycling of volume-reducing bottles.
(1) Volume-reducing bottles *2 used by Watami (some restaurants in the Kanto region) are collected using the return delivery of material delivery services.
(2) Volume-reducing bottles collected by Taisei Resin are sorted, washed, and crushed, and recycled as recycled materials
(3) Mebius Packaging manufactures volume-reducing bottles using recycled materials.
(4) Detergent and alcohol manufacturers fill the manufactured volume-reducing bottles with disinfectant alcohol or cleaning agents and sell them to Watami
*2 Volume-reducing bottles made by other companies are also subject to recall.
The volume-reducing bottles containing recycled materials we develop and manufacture contain more than 25% recycled materials, and we are considering acquiring a trademark from a voluntary environmental organization. By organizing a collection and recycling scheme, we aim to secure stable supply of recycled materials and offer them at prices similar to those of current volume-reducing bottles made with virgin materials.
*The table can be scrolled left and right.
| Primary Role | |
|---|---|
| Mebius Packaging | Organization of resource recycling systems, creation and management of operational schemes Development and manufacturing of volume-reduced bottles containing recycled materials |
| Watami | Command and control of the initial collection (collection from each store to the logistics center) Temporary storage at each store, simple rinsing, removal of labels and caps. |
| Taisei Resin | Secondary collection (bulk collection from logistics centers to recycling plants) Bale creation, label and cap removal, sorting, washing, and crushing (flake formation) |
We aim to establish this project as a model for the voluntary collection and recycling of reduced-volume bottles, and based on its results, expand it to other regions and industries. Furthermore, we will collaborate with industry associations to develop guidelines for environmentally conscious design, contributing to the widespread adoption of sustainable product design.
Mebius Packaging is a company engaged in the manufacturing and sales of plastic containers. As a member of Toyo Seikan Group, we achieve a stable supply of high-quality and sustainable products by integrating the excellent technical capabilities, product development capabilities, and quality and cost management resources cultivated over many years across our group companies.
With the management philosophy of "Sustainable Provision of Everyday Convenience ~ Making Life More Convenient and Enriching ~," we continue to support the rich lives of consumers by offering products and services that are friendly to people and the environment.