Japan's Container and Packaging Recycling Law went into full effect on 1st April this year. The law sets out the responsibilities of consumers, businesses, national and local governments as regards the recycling of PET & glass bottles. According to the law, the amount of recycling & cost burden of repsective producers & users companies vary with production or utilisation volume. For the calculation of obligatory volume, companies are required to record production & utilisation volume of designated containers in their books. Consumers are obliged to separate PET & glass bottles & classify bottles according to colour. Local governments have the obligation to collect them separately, store them in a facility designated by the minister in charge in a form easy to transport & recycle until they are passed on to the companies responsible for re-commercialising them.
