Blockchain Platform Completes Japanese Plastic Recycling Trial
The Circularise platform was used to trace plastic from collection through the recycling custody chain.
Circularise completed a successful trial with the Japan Circular Economy Partnership (J-CEP), AMITA and Marubeni to demonstrate traceability of plastic materials collected for recycling. Circularise is a software platform for supply chain transparency and traceability that uses blockchain technology.
J-CEP’s bottle cap collection and recycling project was launched in October 2022. The trials resulted in the creation of two digital product passports designed to trace plastic bottle caps collected in Kobe City, Japan. These caps were sorted into polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) types, and then successfully recycled into consumer goods.
Digital product passports use blockchain technology, creating records on a distributed ledger. The distributed nature and encryption features make systems using blockchain very difficult to manipulate or tamper with and doing so leaves obvious evidence of tampering. In the context of recycling supply chains, the technology offers improved integrity, transparency and security of data for reporting the provenance and certification of material supply chains.
The final face-to-face session of the proof-of-concept trial participants, where the completion of the trial was announced. Photo Credit: J-CEP
The project demonstrated Circularise's supply chain traceability software with six Japanese companies. Circularise’s ‘Smart Questioning’ technology enabled them to test the secure sharing of material compositions without exposing sensitive data, offering a glimpse into the future of privacy-conscious, sustainable supply chains.
“Our work with J-CEP shows the potential of digital product passports to transform the recycling industry. Our vision is to arm more companies with this technology, driving a tangible shift toward a circular economy,” says Jordi de Vos, Circularise co-founder.
Following the successful proof of concept, J-CEP will look to expand the conversation around the societal benefits of digital product passports in Japan. The initiative aims to establish digital product passports not just as a regulatory requirement but as a strategic advantage for businesses and a benefit for consumers.
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