Recycling of Polyethylene Film Derived from Used Milk Cartons

Refineverse Group Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Akira Ochi; hereinafter "the Company") has succeeded in developing purification/high-purity technology for polyethylene film used in the inner and outer packaging of milk cartons, etc., thereby promoting further resource circulation in milk carton recycling.

■Background of Development
Approximately 88,000 tons* of waste paper containers, including milk cartons, are collected annually, and pulp has been recovered and utilized as a raw material for recycled paper. However, the polyethylene film laminated on the inner and outer surfaces to maintain water retention, shape retention, and durability has not been recycled and was limited to thermal utilization. The reason for the difficulty in recycling was that the polyethylene film remaining as residue after pulp recovery still contained pulp due to technical constraints, and thus could only be used for thermal utilization due to quality issues.

Approximately 17,000 tons* of the approximately 88,000 tons* of paper containers collected annually is polyethylene film. We believed that by solving the technical challenges, it could become a valuable resource, and thus we have been developing purification technology to separate only the pulp component from the polyethylene film and achieve high purity polyethylene.

Based on our existing separation and purification technology, we have successfully developed a new technology to separate pulp from polyethylene film containing residual pulp, achieving a high-purity regenerated material with over 98% polyethylene purity. We will continue to improve the technology for further purification, aiming for 99.9% purity in the future.

This newly developed technology is scheduled to be introduced into the recycling process at the "Refineverse Gamagori Plant," which is expected to start operation in June of this year, to establish a mass production system.

Recycled polyethylene will be a highly versatile regenerated raw material with quality suitable for both raw materials for material recycling and crude raw materials for oil/naphtha for chemical recycling. This is expected to lead to a wide range of applications across industrial fields and further accelerate the circulation of plastic waste.

*Source: Quoted from the National Milk Container Environmental Council 2025 Paper Container Recycling Annual Report.

■Future Outlook
In the future, by applying and improving this technology, we aim to extract new urban oil fields and strengthen the circular supply chain by purifying various waste materials that have not yet been recycled, such as paper containers other than milk cartons, peeled and purified aluminum laminated film, and peeled paint from automobile bumpers.

■About Refineverse Group
"Connecting wealth to the future with unique perspectives and technology."

For over 20 years, we have been committed to practicing the circular economy, advancing the regeneration and development of various materials. We collect large quantities of discarded carpet tiles from offices and facilities and process them into our proprietary regenerated material, "Refine Powder," at our own factory, achieving horizontal circular recycling, which was difficult in the industry. We also operate a business that regenerates waste fishing nets and waste car airbags into high-quality recycled nylon pellets, "REAMIDE."

Furthermore, we are developing various recycled materials such as "ReFEZER," a new bio-material made from bird feathers, "REOCA," an asphalt modifier regenerated from automotive interior materials, and "RENAMY," a regenerated rubber material. Through these initiatives, we aim to create new value from discarded materials and contribute to the realization of a circular society through the power of business.