Mitsubishi Research Institute Launches Verification Project to Expand Use of Recycled Materials in Plastic Packaging

Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. (MRI) has been commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for the FY2026 'Project for Accelerating Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration for Establishing a Resource-Autonomous Economy' and has begun a verification project to expand the use of recycled materials in plastic packaging. In this project, we will comprehensively verify consumer acceptance, quality evaluation, and cost structures across industries to address structural issues hindering the use of recycled materials. While plastic packaging accounts for a large share of domestic plastic demand, the use of recycled materials remains limited. This is due to structural issues such as quality variations caused by material characteristics and high raw material prices. In this project, we are collaborating with numerous companies, including Asahi Group Holdings, Kao, and Suntory Holdings, to review quality standards and visualize consumer acceptance. As the overall coordinator, MRI aims to create knowledge that can be implemented in society.