TOKYO: Efforts to recycle paper cups, which have long been considered unrecyclable, are gaining momentum in Japan.

Paper makers have begun to cooperate with other industries to promote the use of paper cups, which have so far been discarded as flammable waste, as a recyclable resource.

“Paper cups are not known to be recyclable, unlike milk cartons,” said Makoto Hasegawa, head of the recycling promotion office at Nippon Paper Industries Co.

Paper cups, used at many fast food chains and cafes, are made from a high-quality material called virgin pulp, which does not contain recycled pulp, because they come into contact with people’s mouths.

“It’s very wasteful to dispose of them after a single use,” Hasegawa said.

Still, paper cups are processed with water-resistant plastic coating and therefore have been considered unfit to be recycled until now.

In 2021, Nippon Paper launched business in areas including the city of Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, in which only paper fibers are extracted from paper cups using a special technology and recycled to make cardboard base paper.

Industry peer Oji Holdings Corp. has started recycling used paper cups from vending machines, utilizing a similar technology.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., which provided drinks at the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon 2023, held on Oct. 15, recycled used paper cups from the event to create materials for toilet paper.

Japan Airlines has partnered with Nippon Paper for a project from 2022 to recycle paper cups used on some domestic flights to make items including cardboard. They are also engaged in a separate project to recycle used paper cups into new cups, now working to develop a prototype.

Even so, there are many challenges to the promotion of paper cup recycling, such as establishing stable collection systems needed to push down costs.

“We need to create a recycling system also involving consumers,” said Oji Holdings Chairman Masatoshi Kaku, who also serves as chairman of the Japan Paper Association.

Key to the success of paper cup recycling will be whether paper makers can inspire businesses and consumers to change their behavior, amid growing calls for a shift away from plastic products.

JIJI Press