Towards Further Development of Paper Recycling - Announcement of FY2026 Business Plan
The Japan Paper Recycling Promotion Center has announced its business plan for FY2026, addressing a major turning point in the paper recycling industry. Focusing on "demonstration, collaboration, and cross-sectoral initiatives," the plan aims to stabilize used paper quality, promote miscellaneous paper collection, and build a foundation for achieving a circular economy by 2030.
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- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 20:30
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The Japan Paper Recycling Promotion Center (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) has formulated and announced its business plan for FY2026.
The environment surrounding paper recycling is facing a major turning point due to structural changes in paper demand, a decrease in generated volume, and the acceleration of combustible waste reduction and decarbonization policies. Taking its 50th anniversary as an opportunity, the Center has positioned the current fiscal year as the starting point for full-scale business development, based on its long-term vision "Sustainable Challenge 2050" and its mid-term roadmap "Towards 2030 & Beyond."
2030 is a critical milestone for establishing a circular economy and climate change countermeasures in society, and efforts over the next few years will determine its direction. This fiscal year, with "demonstration, collaboration, and cross-sectoral initiatives" as keywords, the Center will deepen its conventional efforts while building a foundation for the next stage.
## Promoting "Demonstration, Collaboration, and Cross-sectoral Initiatives" to Seize the Turning Point
This business plan promotes organic business operations centered on four key areas: used paper quality stabilization measures, public relations, research and surveys, and resource recycling stabilization measures.
In particular, amid the nationwide trend of reducing combustible waste in municipalities, the Center positions the unearthing of "miscellaneous paper" as a crucial theme. Through the awareness demonstration "Find the Miscellaneous Paper!", it aims to encourage citizens to change their behavior.
Furthermore, regarding the increasing volume of miscellaneous paper and the concern about declining quality of used paper, the Center will implement comprehensive measures that oversee the entire process from collection to utilization. It will also strengthen collaboration with various stakeholders such as local governments, educational and research institutions, and businesses.
Through the accumulation of practical initiatives underway in various regions, the Center aims to build a foundation that contributes to the next stage of development, integrally enhancing the environmental, economic, and social value of paper recycling.
## Strengthening the Role as a "Connector" and Regional Development
The Center aims to strengthen its role as a "connector" to organically link various stakeholders involved in paper recycling.
Specifically, it aims to realize initiatives where local governments, businesses, educational and research institutions, and citizens are cross-sectorally connected, viewing the entire flow from emission and collection to utilization as a unified effort.
Through the expansion of "Regional Circular Co-existence Society Model" initiatives progressing in various regions, the Center will promote efforts to give concrete form to these connections among stakeholders, aiming to build a sustainable circular structure mediated by paper recycling.
This initiative will also foster the establishment of sorting behaviors in communities and deepen connections among stakeholders, leading to the formation of a foundation for a circular society.
## Providing Practical Materials to Support Local Government Frontlines
In conjunction, the Center will publish the "Paper Recycling Handbook for Local Governments 2025 Edition" and begin distributing it to municipalities nationwide.
This handbook systematically organizes practical information necessary for local government frontlines, such as basic concepts of paper recycling, sorting points, and collection and sorting mechanisms.
Moreover, it also organizes the current state and challenges of used paper collection and utilization, making its content valuable for both policy formulation and on-site operations.
We hope this handbook will be helpful in the paper recycling initiatives of each municipality and serve as a reference for on-site discussions and efforts.
### Reference
The environment surrounding paper recycling is facing a major turning point due to structural changes in paper demand, a decrease in generated volume, and the acceleration of combustible waste reduction and decarbonization policies. Taking its 50th anniversary as an opportunity, the Center has positioned the current fiscal year as the starting point for full-scale business development, based on its long-term vision "Sustainable Challenge 2050" and its mid-term roadmap "Towards 2030 & Beyond."
2030 is a critical milestone for establishing a circular economy and climate change countermeasures in society, and efforts over the next few years will determine its direction. This fiscal year, with "demonstration, collaboration, and cross-sectoral initiatives" as keywords, the Center will deepen its conventional efforts while building a foundation for the next stage.
## Promoting "Demonstration, Collaboration, and Cross-sectoral Initiatives" to Seize the Turning Point
This business plan promotes organic business operations centered on four key areas: used paper quality stabilization measures, public relations, research and surveys, and resource recycling stabilization measures.
In particular, amid the nationwide trend of reducing combustible waste in municipalities, the Center positions the unearthing of "miscellaneous paper" as a crucial theme. Through the awareness demonstration "Find the Miscellaneous Paper!", it aims to encourage citizens to change their behavior.
Furthermore, regarding the increasing volume of miscellaneous paper and the concern about declining quality of used paper, the Center will implement comprehensive measures that oversee the entire process from collection to utilization. It will also strengthen collaboration with various stakeholders such as local governments, educational and research institutions, and businesses.
Through the accumulation of practical initiatives underway in various regions, the Center aims to build a foundation that contributes to the next stage of development, integrally enhancing the environmental, economic, and social value of paper recycling.
## Strengthening the Role as a "Connector" and Regional Development
The Center aims to strengthen its role as a "connector" to organically link various stakeholders involved in paper recycling.
Specifically, it aims to realize initiatives where local governments, businesses, educational and research institutions, and citizens are cross-sectorally connected, viewing the entire flow from emission and collection to utilization as a unified effort.
Through the expansion of "Regional Circular Co-existence Society Model" initiatives progressing in various regions, the Center will promote efforts to give concrete form to these connections among stakeholders, aiming to build a sustainable circular structure mediated by paper recycling.
This initiative will also foster the establishment of sorting behaviors in communities and deepen connections among stakeholders, leading to the formation of a foundation for a circular society.
## Providing Practical Materials to Support Local Government Frontlines
In conjunction, the Center will publish the "Paper Recycling Handbook for Local Governments 2025 Edition" and begin distributing it to municipalities nationwide.
This handbook systematically organizes practical information necessary for local government frontlines, such as basic concepts of paper recycling, sorting points, and collection and sorting mechanisms.
Moreover, it also organizes the current state and challenges of used paper collection and utilization, making its content valuable for both policy formulation and on-site operations.
We hope this handbook will be helpful in the paper recycling initiatives of each municipality and serve as a reference for on-site discussions and efforts.
### Reference