Unilever and Kao, major household goods companies, are embarking on joint development of technology to recycle bottles such as detergents and shampoos to reduce plastic waste.
Unilever Japan and Kao have agreed to jointly develop a technology for processing bottles such as detergents and shampoos and recycling them back into bottles.
Bottles such as detergents and shampoos are incinerated or recycled into other plastic products because the materials and colors differ depending on the manufacturer and product.
Both companies hope to establish a technology for recycling bottles into the same bottle, which will lead to a reduction in the amount of petroleum-derived plastic used as a raw material for new bottles.
We also want to jointly consider a mechanism for separating and collecting used bottles and formulating guidelines for standardizing materials and colors.
Mr. Yuki Masuda of Unilever Japan said, "It is necessary for the industry to work together to realize the recycling of bottles. We would like to increase the number of participating manufacturers and lead to great results."
Kao and Lion are also jointly embarking on the development of recycling technology for refillable containers to reduce plastic waste, and efforts that transcend the boundaries of manufacturers are becoming active.