In 2012, FENC established Far Eastern Ishizuka Green PET Corporation (FIGP) with ISHIZUKA GLASS Co., Ltd. in Ibaraki Prefecture in the Kantō region, Japan. In 2014, the first rPET plant at FIGP began production. In 2020, the second plant was constructed, delivering 90,000 metric tons in annual production in 2021. As the largest rPET supplier in Japan, its product applications include food-grade packaging and fiber.

To align with global trends in sustainable development, FIGP partners with international brands to make specific targets and timelines for sustainable development. FIGP is constructing a new rPET plant in Himeji City in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. With 100,000 metric tons of production capacity, the plant will expand FIGP’s scale in the circular economy.

To implement the expansion project, FIGP initiated local dialogues with the residents’ committee, corporations and fishermen’s association in January 2021. The representatives introduced Far Eastern Group and FENC from Taiwan, laying out the vision towards investing in the rPET business in Japan, and using the current plant to illustrate the impacts on the local environment, lives of residents and recruitments. It was stressed during the dialogues that FIGP adhered strictly to environmental and labor regulations as well as its intention to maintain rapport with the local residents.

The local fishermen’s association holds the river-cleaning campaign every year and finds accumulations of waste PET bottles which often obstruct fishing operations. The association hopes that with the new plant, the public will be more aware of recycling PET bottles to protect the river and estuary. The local residents pointed out traffic congestion during peak hours near the plant site, and expressed wishes for diverting the truck traffic away from elementary school students’ school routes during plant construction to avoid accidents and construction delays. These constructive inputs have been beneficial for FIGP’s expansion and operation, and the plant will continue to engage local stakeholders through interviews and briefings to enhance communication, plant construction and future operation.