KEY POINTSYano Research estimates Japan’s 2025 recycled-plastic demand at 596,000 tonsBeverage PET bottles account for about 260,000 tons, ahead of food containers at 160,000 tonsJapan’s revised recycling law requires larger manufacturers and importers to file recycled-plastic use plans from fiscal 2027
A chart shows the projected demand for recycled plastic in Japan through 2032. Note: Japanese text in the original image from press release has been translated into English by our editorial team.
Yano Research Institute
TOKYO, Sept. 7 – Yano Research Institute said on Sept. 7 that Japan’s domestic demand for recycled plastic used in products is estimated at 596,000 metric tons in 2025, as beverage, food packaging and manufacturing sectors increase use of recycled resin under industry targets and tighter regulation.
The estimate covers resins regenerated through material recycling and chemical recycling, based on the volume used in products in Japan and excluding exports. Yano also published forecasts for 2028 and 2032.
By application, beverage use, mainly PET bottles, accounted for about 260,000 tons of demand in 2025. Food containers, limited to rigid PET containers and polystyrene food trays, accounted for about 160,000 tons, while automobiles used about 40,000 tons, home appliances about 30,000 tons, logistics pallets about 60,000 tons and other uses about 30,000 tons.
The research firm said industries across Japan are actively studying and introducing recycled plastics as sector-specific targets and rules take effect. In beverages, the Japan Soft Drink Association has declared a goal of raising the bottle-to-bottle recycling ratio for used PET bottles to 50% by 2030. In autos, the European Union’s end-of-life vehicle regulation was promulgated at the end of July 2026 and took effect in August 2026.
Japan also revised the Act on Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources in April 2026. Under the revised framework, businesses that manufacture or import and sell at least 10,000 tons a year of designated plastic containers and packaging, 50,000 units a year of four designated home appliances, or 10,000 vehicles a year will be required from fiscal 2027 to submit plans to promote recycled-plastic use and report progress to the government.
That law is a Japanese resource-circulation framework that promotes recycling and the efficient use of materials. Yano said the revision is expected to strengthen domestic circular use of resources.
The survey was conducted from May to July 2026 through direct interviews, including online meetings, and document research. Target companies included users of recycled plastic in automobiles, beverages, daily goods, cosmetics, stationery, office automation equipment, and construction.
Yano said many industries are still building collection and recycling schemes. The release noted that legal frameworks for appliance and auto recycling have been developed since the 1990s, while some consumer-facing collection programs now offer reward points when people bring used containers to collection boxes.
The research firm said adoption of recycled materials has been slower in food and daily-goods segments because passing higher costs on to product prices is difficult. It added that users and recyclers need to work together on performance and application development to expand demand for recycled plastics.