Kasumi and 5 Partners Launch 'Plarelay Project': Chemical Recycled Caps Used in Limited Edition Kewpie Dressings from April 22
Kasumi Co., Ltd., in collaboration with Kashima City and Mitsubishi Chemical, has developed a regional closed-loop recycling model. They will sell Kewpie dressings featuring caps made from chemically recycled plastics collected within Kashima City starting April 22.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 00:37
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 00:02
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 03:31 (3h 29m after Collected)
Kasumi Co., Ltd. (President: Fumitaka Orimoto; Headquarters: Tsukuba, Ibaraki) is promoting the 'Plarelay Project' alongside Kashima City (Ibaraki), Refineverse, Inc., Mitsubishi Chemical Corp., Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd., and Kewpie Corp. Under this project, dressing and PET bottle caps collected within Kashima City were chemically recycled to be reused as materials for new caps. Three types of Kewpie dressing products featuring these recycled caps will be sold in limited quantities.
This is a rare case in Japan where a circular cycle—from collection to recycling, manufacturing, and sales—is completed within the same region.
**Sales Overview**
- **Release Date:** April 22, 2026 (Wednesday)
- **Store:** Kasumi Kashima Stadium Store, 'Plarelay Special Shelf' next to the service counter (Not available on regular shelves)
- **Target Products:** Limited to 100 bottles each (Total 300 bottles)
- Kewpie Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing (180ml)
- Kewpie Caesar Salad Dressing (180ml)
- Kewpie Tasty Dressing Black Vinegar Onion (210ml)
- **Other:** Sales quantity, period, and location are subject to change without notice.
**What is the Plarelay Project?**
An experimental project launched in February 2025 following a comprehensive partnership agreement among the six parties mentioned above. Its goal is to build a 'relay' model for regional plastic container circulation by chemically recycling (liquefaction and monomerization) used plastics and utilizing them again for food containers.
**Key Achievements So Far:**
- Collection of caps and workshops at 14 schools in Kashima City.
- In-store collection at Kasumi Kashima Stadium store.
- Recycling of collected resources (total 8.8kg from Sept-Nov 2025, including PET caps) at Mitsubishi Chemical's plant.
- Cap molding using recycled materials by Toyo Seikan Group HD.
- Realization of this limited sale by Kewpie adopting the caps for their dressing products.
**Looking Ahead:**
The purpose of the Plarelay Project was to establish a framework for a closed-loop system within a specific region. The lessons learned and challenges identified through the process of awareness, collection, recycling, production, and sales will be summarized in a 'Verification Report on Plastic Container Circulation' (release date TBD). The partners will continue to discuss future activities to promote plastic circulation and sustainable living.
This is a rare case in Japan where a circular cycle—from collection to recycling, manufacturing, and sales—is completed within the same region.
**Sales Overview**
- **Release Date:** April 22, 2026 (Wednesday)
- **Store:** Kasumi Kashima Stadium Store, 'Plarelay Special Shelf' next to the service counter (Not available on regular shelves)
- **Target Products:** Limited to 100 bottles each (Total 300 bottles)
- Kewpie Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing (180ml)
- Kewpie Caesar Salad Dressing (180ml)
- Kewpie Tasty Dressing Black Vinegar Onion (210ml)
- **Other:** Sales quantity, period, and location are subject to change without notice.
**What is the Plarelay Project?**
An experimental project launched in February 2025 following a comprehensive partnership agreement among the six parties mentioned above. Its goal is to build a 'relay' model for regional plastic container circulation by chemically recycling (liquefaction and monomerization) used plastics and utilizing them again for food containers.
**Key Achievements So Far:**
- Collection of caps and workshops at 14 schools in Kashima City.
- In-store collection at Kasumi Kashima Stadium store.
- Recycling of collected resources (total 8.8kg from Sept-Nov 2025, including PET caps) at Mitsubishi Chemical's plant.
- Cap molding using recycled materials by Toyo Seikan Group HD.
- Realization of this limited sale by Kewpie adopting the caps for their dressing products.
**Looking Ahead:**
The purpose of the Plarelay Project was to establish a framework for a closed-loop system within a specific region. The lessons learned and challenges identified through the process of awareness, collection, recycling, production, and sales will be summarized in a 'Verification Report on Plastic Container Circulation' (release date TBD). The partners will continue to discuss future activities to promote plastic circulation and sustainable living.