Asahi Kasei, a Japanese chemical company, developed the BLUE Plastics project, which is a data visualization platform for the plastic recycling chain. By leveraging blockchain technology, the project prevents falsification and ensures the traceability of data collected from the recycling chain. Being the largest rPET supplier in Japan and already equipped with remarkable product traceability and recycling capabilities, FIGP has been chosen by Asahi Kasei as the partner to recycle and turn PET bottles into rPET.

The demonstration trial was conducted between September and November 2022 at FamilyMart stores in Katsushika City of Tokyo, Japan. After consumers deposit cleaned waste PET bottles into the recycling bin at the convenience stores, they can scan the QR codes from the bin with smartphones to document the quantity of bottles, trace at which recycling stages the recycled bottles are and carbon emissions they help avoid. The project boosts consumers’ desire to recycle and forms a more robust product traceability system.