Govt to Hold Ministerial Meetings to Promote Circular Economy; Hopes to Increase Reuse of Plastic, Metal

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:46 JST, July 19, 2024

The government has decided to establish a series of meetings of relevant ministers to promote the development of a “circular economy,” in which metals and plastics are recycled and reused.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to announce the meetings soon, the first of which is expected to take place as early as this month. The government aims to outline priority policies, such as increasing the use of recycled plastics, and enact related legislation during the ordinary Diet session next year.

Specifically, manufacturers that use large volumes of plastics will be required to set targets for use of recycled plastic and report on the results of their use.

The government also plans to study the reuse of solar panels, large quantities of which are expected to reach the ends of their lives and be disposed of in the 2030s and beyond.

The government intends to formulate a policy package spanning multiple ministries and agencies and include it in the fiscal 2025 budget proposal.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi will chair the meeting, with Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ken Saito and Environment Minister Shintaro Ito serving as vice-chairpersons.

Kishida is to attend the first meeting and instruct each of the participating ministries and agencies to formulate specific policies.

Recycling will be indispensable to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The government has set a goal of increasing the size of the market for circular economy-related businesses from about ¥50 trillion in 2020 to ¥80 trillion by 2030.

The government hopes that the realization of a circular economy will lead to enhanced industrial competitiveness and regional development.