Activity report
Recycling as resources once again
Transforming used
plastics
into
next-generation
automotive parts
Background of the challenge
Seeking partners
to take on the
challenge of
pioneering
Japan’s
first
breakthrough
in
technological
development
These days, efforts to replace plastic components in automobiles with recycled materials are gaining momentum on a global level. Europe is expected to mandate the use of approx. 20-25% recycled plastics in imported vehicles from other countries starting in 2032. The Toyota Group too is committed to meeting this standard in order to comply with future regulations, and for several years now it has been working to secure recycled plastics to use as raw materials. However, recycled plastics with the durability required for automotive use are only available in limited quantities on the market. Taking into account the difficulties of procuring recycled plastics, we began considering coming up with the kind of recycled plastics suitable for automobiles by ourselves. However, a fundamental prerequisite for such an enterprise would be collecting used plastic that is minimally contaminated with foreign matter. This led us to focus our attention on the initiatives undertaken by Kameoka City, which has been championing the goal of zero plastic waste ahead of the rest of the country by passing measures like an “Ordinance on Prohibition of Providing Plastic Shopping Bags”.
Our idea
Collaboration
between
different
businesses to
produce
high-quality
recycled
plastics
The convergence of our goal of securing recycled plastics and Kameoka City's goal of reducing waste led to the signing of the "Kameoka Future Creation Environmental Partnership Agreement" in March 2025. The aim of this collaboration is the establishment of a recycling scheme that makes it possible to recycle used plastics as automotive components, thereby facilitating the circulation of resources. The project’s success required overcoming numerous technical challenges at different levels, such as selecting the necessary plastics, eliminating odors and ensuring durability. Thus, in the course of concluding the agreement, we were introduced by Kameoka City to Gomi no Gakkou Inc. (the company responsible for sorting waste, collecting it and analyzing its composition). We also collaborated with other specialized companies such as Toyama Kankyo Seibi Co., Ltd. (responsible for crushing and sorting), and Eikou Bussan Co., Ltd. (responsible for recycling/raw material production). As a result, a trial project to recycle used plastics is now underway through the collaborative efforts of local governments as well as venous and arterial enterprises.*2 If this experiment proves successful, we believe it will boost recycling of used plastics in other sectors as well, making a significant contribution to realizing a circular economy in Japan.
*2: These terms, based on the analogy between economic activity and blood circulation in living beings, refer to companies that supply resources and products to society (arterial) and companies that collect, reuse, and recycle used products and waste (venous).
Activity Report
While
pursuing their
specific
aspirations,
each
company
is working
toward
a
common goal
Following the signing of the agreement in March, each company began to work in earnest. The first challenge faced was sorting and recovering polypropylene suitable for automotive parts from plastic waste. It was also necessary to establish methods to prevent contamination by foreign matter—which can degrade material properties and cause cosmetic defects—and to develop technologies to eliminate odors. In August 2025, Gomi no Gakkou Inc. conducted a survey of Kameoka City's plastic waste, identifying specific products suitable to be turned into automotive parts. Currently, they are renting a resource collection center in Kameoka City to conduct trials collecting these identified products. Each company is carrying on its research while regularly exchanging information to address challenges identified in the composition survey. Our company is busy verifying the material properties of recycled plastics derived from discarded plastics. Since this initiative aims to create a new societal framework, however, technical considerations alone are not enough. Kameoka City and Gomi no Gakkou are therefore working to promote awareness of the value and fun of sorting by showing residents how plastic waste is reborn as car parts, and to establish recycling as a local culture. This way, each partner is tackling challenges from their respective positions while working together as one to demonstrate the feasibility of converting used plastics into automotive parts.
Challenger
The team behind
Kameoka City’s
trial
project for
recycling
used
plastics
- Kameoka City
- Since hosting the "Marine Litter Summit 2012 Kameoka Hozugawa Conference," the first such event to be held in an inland region, in 2013, the city has been committed to improving environmental conditions. Making these initiatives a city project, it has received broad cooperation from local residents. Through this project, it hopes to show residents how the waste they sort on a daily basis can be reborn as automotive components, therefore encouraging them to sort their waste with greater motivation and sense of purpose.
- Gomi no Gakkou Inc.
- We were approached by Kameoka City and decided to participate in the project since Toyota Boshoku's commitment to the environment greatly resonated with us. We regularly collaborate with businesses in holding workshops and other events to raise public awareness about waste sorting. We hope this project will motivate residents to sort their waste and contribute to a stronger resource circulation system.
- Toyama Kankyo Seibi
Co., Ltd. - We have been recycling plastic containers and packaging since 2000. Starting in FY 2024, in collaboration with Kameoka City, we obtained certification for our recycling scheme and have been manufacturing materials derived from plastics collected by residents. Our aim in doing so is to raise public awareness of the uses of recycled materials thanks to the garbage bags we produce.
Furthermore, through this recycling trial project, we aim to raise awareness among all stakeholders about the current state of recycled material production, thereby identifying opportunities for utilizing recycled materials within the automotive industry. - Eikou Bussan Co., Ltd.
- We believe this project, which recycles and utilizes recycled containers and packaging materials for next-generation automotive parts, is a major step toward reducing environmental impact and realizing a circular economy. We are confident that by working together with all stakeholders we can create new value from discarded resources. However, many challenges remain, including technical hurdles and operational adjustments, making this undertaking no easy task. Which is precisely why we are taking on the challenge. We are tackling this project with more enthusiasm and a greater sense of responsibility than ever before, in order to open up new possibilities for new materials and to create a system in which both the region and industry can grow.