Since China ’s 2017 ban on plastic waste imports , recycling companies in the country have been keen to secure a share of the 600,000 tonnes of bottles discarded in Japan each year . Several Chinese companies have now established recycling facilities in Japan , including Asei which has invested $ 100 m in two plants near Tokyo . Such investment has led to a doubling of the price of used bottles to $ 0.32 per kg over the past decade . Japanese firm Daiei Kankyo Holdings also aims to double production capacity by opening a new $ 13.8 m plant in Osaka Prefecture in 2020 .
Since China’s 2017 ban on plastic waste imports, recycling companies in the country have been keen to secure a share of the 600,000 tonnes of bottles discarded in Japan each year. Several Chinese firms have now established recycling facilities in Japan, including Asei which has invested $6.4m in two plants near Tokyo. Such investment has led to a doubling of the price of used bottles to $0.32 per kg over the past year. Japanese firm Daiei Kankyo Holdings also aims to double production capacity by opening a new $13.8m plant in Osaka Prefecture in 2020.