Empty Containers Natural Materials Used in Containers and Packaging, and Number of Containers Not Recycled after Consumption

In the liquor industry, the environmental impact at the production stage is relatively low when compared to the environmental issues after the product is released into society and purchased by the consumer. The disposal and recycling of containers and packaging is a major environmental problem.

Currently, traditional returnable issho (1.8 liter) bottles are on the decline, with a shift to one-way containers such as PET bottles and paper cartons. Our company is involved in expanding the use of returnable bottles; we've achieved a 1% increase in the return rate by expanding the area for 720 ml returnable bottles and increasing the number of returnable items. Our use of PET bottles, paper cartons and other one-way containers also increased by 1%, but through the efforts of the industry, the rate of material recycling for one-way containers has increased.

Furthermore, by expanding the use of low impact containers used for bulk sales (see p. 15), the percentage by weight of TaKaRa containers and packaging reused as a resource has risen from 62% to 65%.

Percentage of Container and Packaging Resources Accounted for by Recycled Raw Material

Percentage of Containers and Packaging Recycled

FY 1998 Sources for Category Percentages Percentage of Recycled Raw Materials in Container and Packaging Materials * Glass Bottles: 1998 data from Japan Glass Bottle Association * Aluminum Cans: Using the 1998 data from Aluminum Can Recycling Association as a base for estimation, 159,421 t (volume of aluminum cans collected and used in new cans) / 264,581 t (volume of aluminum cans domestically produced) = 60.3% * Steel Cans: our estimate * Paper cartons (with aluminum): our estimate * PET bottles: our estimate * Cardboard: 1997 Paper / Pulp Monthly Statistics Percentage of TaKaRa Containers and Packaging Recycled * Returnable bottles: FY 1997 data from the 1.8 Liter Bottle Recycling Industry Council * One-way bottles: 1998 data from Glass Bottle Recycling Promotor Association, 770,000 t (collected glass bottle resources + other resources) / 1,880,000 t (volume of discarded one way bottles) = 41% * Aluminum cans: FY 1998 data from Aluminum Can Recycling Association * Steel cans: FY 1998 data from Japan Steel can Recycling Association * Paper cartons (with aluminum): our estimate * PET bottles: FY 1998 data from the Council for PET Bottle Recycling * Cardboard: 1997 Paper / Pulp Monthly Statistics