[Survey on Equipment Recycling Practices] 66.9% of Involved Personnel Unable to Utilize Resource Value of Disposed Equipment

BizCube Consulting, provider of 'LC-Cube,' a specialized SaaS for equipment manufacturers aimed at creating sellable preventive maintenance, conducted a 'Survey on Recycling Practices in the Manufacturing and Equipment Industry' among 300 professionals involved in equipment disposal and renewal across sectors including manufacturing, construction, facility management, logistics, and public infrastructure.

On April 21, 2026, the government finalized the 'Circular Economy Action Plan' at the 4th Council of Relevant Ministers on the Circular Economy, setting a policy to invest approximately 1 trillion yen in the public and private sectors by 2030. In this plan, the circular economy is no longer just about environmental measures like 'reducing waste' or 'promoting recycling,' but is clearly positioned as a national strategy connecting ESG/decarbonization with economic security.

Against this backdrop, this survey was conducted to clarify how the 'final phase' of the equipment lifecycle—disposal and recycling—is actually handled in corporate settings.

Survey Overview
- Survey Period: April 2026
- Survey Method: Internet questionnaire
- Target Audience: Professionals working in manufacturing, construction, real estate, facility management, logistics, warehousing, and public infrastructure
- Number of Valid Responses: 300 (172 involved in equipment disposal/renewal were analyzed)
- Conducted by: BizCube Consulting

Survey Results
When asked, 'Do you implement waste recycling (turning materials/parts into resources) when disposing of or updating equipment/machinery?', 29.1% of involved personnel (n=172) answered 'actively implementing,' and 49.4% answered 'partially implementing (depending on conditions),' resulting in a total of 78.5% engaging in some form of recycling.

However, 'actively implementing' remains below 30%, and 17.4% answered that they 'hardly implement' or 'do not implement at all.' Only a small fraction of companies are able to tackle recycling organizationally and continuously, with most remaining at a 'case-by-case' response level.