Skip to content
Specialized Packaging Market Intelligence and Strategic AdvisoryPackaging Intelligence. Clearer Decisions. Stronger Growth.
SPI Regulation Tracker

Packaging rule · Japan · Other

Plastic Resource Circulation Act

Packaging rule covering plastic in Japan, set by Ministry of the Environment; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Applies since 1 April 2022.

By the SPI teamRule ID PR-JP-001Source consulted 13 October 2026Verified 13 October 2026
Sourced facts

The rule

Recorded from the official source named below. Rates and dates are as the source states them on the date it was consulted.

Jurisdiction
Japan
Authority
Ministry of the Environment; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Rule type
Other
Materials
Plastic
Status
In force Enacted
Adopted or published
11 June 2021
Applies from
1 April 2022
From the source

“令和３年６月11日に公布 … 令和４年４月１日に施行”

Official source Ministry of the Environment: プラスチック資源循環Official (government or regulator) · consulted 13 October 2026

Deadlines

Key dates

  1. Adopted or published 5 years ago

  2. Applies from 4 years and 6 months ago

  3. Source consulted by the SPI team 1 day ago

  4. Re-checked by a second SPI team member 1 day ago

SPI analysis

What it means

SPI analysis Our reading of the official source above. Not legal advice; always rely on the official text.

SPI summary

Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics covers plastics across their life cycle, including rationalising the use of specified single-use plastic products provided by businesses. Promulgated 11 June 2021 and applied from 1 April 2022.

In practice

Japan's Plastic Resource Circulation Act, promulgated 11 June 2021 and applied from 1 April 2022, covers plastics across the life cycle rather than packaging alone. It sets design guidelines with certification for plastic products, criteria for retailers and service providers to reduce single-use plastic products, routes for municipalities and manufacturers or retailers to collect and recycle plastics, and criteria for business waste generators. Large suppliers of single-use plastics and large waste generators can receive ministerial recommendations or orders if their efforts fall significantly short.

Where the record is unclear

  • The specific products covered and the large-supplier threshold were not confirmed on the pages opened.
  • The Ministry notes the plastic bag guidelines are partly under revision (March 2026); the outcome is not known.

Where it sits in the tracker

  • One of 2 packaging rules we track in Japan, of which 1 are other rules.
  • In all, 3 other rules are tracked across 2 jurisdictions. Compare them below

Company profiles that map to this rule

Companies whose SPI profile lists this rule in its regulatory exposure, based on where they report selling. Not company-reported.

SPI analysis

Overview

The Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics (Act No. 60 of 2021) states its purpose in Article 1: to promote plastic resource circulation through reduced use of plastic products, municipal recycling of plastic waste and voluntary collection and recycling by businesses, contributing to the living environment and the national economy1. The Ministry links it to marine plastic pollution, climate change and tighter foreign rules on waste imports, which made domestic circulation of plastics more important2.

The Act is organised around a basic policy that the competent ministers must set and publish under Article 3, then measures for each stage of a product's life: design guidelines and certification (Articles 7 to 10), criteria for specified single-use products (Articles 28 to 30), municipal sorted collection and recycling (Articles 31 to 38), voluntary collection by manufacturers and sellers (Articles 39 to 42) and duties for business waste emitters (Articles 44 to 53)1. The competent ministers are the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Minister of the Environment, with the relevant industry minister for design guidelines (Article 58)1.

For packaging the key line is in Article 28: the single-use product criteria exclude containers and packaging already covered by the Containers and Packaging Recycling Act1. The Act's packaging effect therefore runs mainly through design certification, municipal collection that can be routed to the designated recycling corporation (Article 32), and the 250 tonne emitter duties14.

Duties

Who must do what

Designer or manufacturer of plastic products

  • Make efforts to follow the design guidelines on reduced plastic use and substitute materials issued under Article 71.
  • Optionally apply for design certification under Article 8; certified designs are published and favoured in national green procurement under Article 1012.

Retailer or service provider of specified single-use products

  • Follow the ministerial criteria under Article 28 for the 12 specified products, such as forks, spoons, straws, stirrers, toothbrushes and clothes hangers, through measures such as charging, incentives or confirming the customer's intent14.
  • If more than 5 tonnes of specified products were provided in the previous fiscal year, expect recommendations, publication of the name and orders under Article 30 where efforts fall significantly short14.

Business emitting plastic waste

  • Reduce and recycle plastic industrial waste and by-products in line with the Article 44 criteria; small businesses are excluded1.
  • Where emissions reached 250 tonnes or more in the previous fiscal year, expect recommendations and orders under Article 46, which also counts franchise members' emissions14.

Municipalities

  • Make efforts to set and publicise plastic sorting standards (Article 31), then either entrust recycling to the designated corporation under the Containers and Packaging Recycling Act (Article 32) or obtain certification of their own recycling plan (Article 33)14.

Residents and consumers

  • Follow the municipality's sorting standards once set (Article 31(2)) and make efforts to reduce plastic use (Article 4)1.
Scope

Are you in scope?

Work through each question. The answers are the SPI team's reading of the sources cited.

  1. Is the item one of the 12 specified plastic products supplied free with a sale or service?

    If yes
    The Article 28 criteria apply if you are in a designated sector such as general retail, food retail, lodging, restaurants, takeaway and delivery, or laundry14.
    If no
    The single-use criteria do not reach it.

  2. Is the item a container or packaging covered by the Containers and Packaging Recycling Act?

    If yes
    Article 28 excludes it from the single-use criteria; PR-JP-002 governs it instead1.
    If no
    Other parts of this Act may still apply.

  3. Did you provide 5 tonnes or more of specified products last fiscal year?

    If yes
    You are a large provider exposed to Article 30 recommendations and orders4.
    If no
    Guidance and advice under Article 29 only.

  4. Did you emit 250 tonnes or more of plastic industrial waste and by-products last fiscal year?

    If yes
    You are a large emitter under Article 464.
    If no
    The Article 44 criteria still apply unless you are a small business1.

  5. Is more than half the product plastic by weight or volume?

    If yes
    It can be put forward for Article 8 design certification4.
    If no
    Design certification is not available for it.
Checklist

Compliance checklist

  1. Separate packaging from specified products

    By Now

    SPI analysis of the official text. Not legal advice; confirm with the text or counsel. Sort items handed to customers into containers and packaging under PR-JP-002 and the 12 specified products under Article 28, since the two regimes do not overlap1.

    Evidence to keep Item list tagged by regime.

  2. Measure specified product volumes

    By Each fiscal year

    Total the specified products provided in the previous fiscal year against the 5 tonne line4.

    Evidence to keep Yearly tonnage by product type.

  3. Choose rationalisation measures

    By Now

    Apply charging, incentives, intent checks, lighter or reusable items, as the ministerial criteria list4.

    Evidence to keep Store policy and sales data showing reduced provision.

  4. Check emitter status

    By Each fiscal year

    Calculate plastic industrial waste and by-products, including franchise members where Article 46(2) applies, against the 250 tonne line14.

    Evidence to keep Waste manifests and recycling contracts.

  5. Consider certified collection plans

    By When planning take-back

    A certified voluntary collection plan under Article 39 lets a manufacturer or seller collect its own used products without a separate waste licence (Article 41)1.

    Evidence to keep Certified plan and collection records.

  6. Answer report requests

    By On request

    Large providers and large emitters must report when asked under Article 55; failure or a false report is an offence1.

    Evidence to keep Report file with supporting data.

Enforcement

Enforcement and penalties

Who enforces
The competent ministers: the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Minister of the Environment and the relevant industry minister (Article 58)1
Powers
Reports (Article 55) and on-site inspections of records (Article 56); a stepped sequence of recommendation, publication of the name and order for large providers (Article 30) and large emitters (Article 46), with an advisory council consulted before an order1.
Enforcement so far
SPI has not yet found a published Article 30 or Article 46 order.

Penalties

BreachPenaltyLegal basis
Breaching an order to large providers or large emitters五十万円以下の罰金 (up to JPY 500,000)Article 62, for orders under Article 30(4) or Article 46(5)1
Failing to report, false report or refusing inspection by large providers and emitters and certified operators三十万円以下の罰金 (up to JPY 300,000)Article 64, for Article 55(1), (4), (5) or (7) and Article 56(1)1
Other reporting and inspection failures二十万円以下の罰金 (up to JPY 200,000)Article 65, for Article 55(3) or (6) and Article 56(3)1

Fines arise only at the end of the sequence, after a recommendation has been ignored, the name published and an order breached (Articles 30 and 46)1. Under Article 66 the company is fined as well as the employee who committed the offence1.

Connections

How it fits with other rules

Timeline

History of the rule

  1. Plastic Resource Circulation Strategy announced3.

  2. Policy report on future plastic resource circulation measures published3.

  3. Act No. 60 of 2021 promulgated13.

  4. Act takes effect23.

  5. Ministry notes a partial, temporary revision of the plastic shopping bag charging guideline3.

  6. Today

  7. Five years after entry into force, when the supplementary provisions require a review of the Act1.

Questions

Questions

Does Japan's Plastic Resource Circulation Act apply to packaging?

Mostly indirectly. Article 28 excludes containers and packaging covered by the Containers and Packaging Recycling Act from its single-use criteria, but municipal collection under Articles 31 to 35 and the emitter duties in Article 44 can include plastic packaging waste1.

Which single-use plastic products are covered?

Twelve: forks, spoons, table knives, stirrers, straws, hairbrushes, combs, razors, shower caps, toothbrushes, clothes hangers and clothes covers. They are covered when provided free in sectors such as retail, lodging and restaurants4.

Who counts as a large provider under the Act?

A business that provided 5 tonnes or more of specified plastic products in the previous fiscal year. It can receive a recommendation, publication of its name and then an order under Article 3041.

What is the penalty for ignoring a ministerial order?

A fine of up to JPY 500,000 under Article 62, applying to orders under Article 30(4) and Article 46(5). Article 66 fines the company as well as the individual1.

When will the Act be reviewed?

The supplementary provisions require a review five years after the Act took effect on 1 April 2022, which falls in April 202712.

Glossary

Definitions

Plastic product (プラスチック使用製品)
Any product that uses plastic (Article 2(1))1.1
Plastic by-product
Plastic obtained as a by-product of business activities (Article 2(4))1.1
Emitting business (排出事業者)
A business that discharges industrial waste of plastic products or plastic by-products, other than items in municipal sorted collection (Article 2(9))1.1
Recycling (再資源化)
Making used plastic products or by-products usable as parts or raw materials; for combustible material, recovery also covers use for heat (Article 2(5) and (6))1.1
Sources

Sources for this analysis

  1. House of Representatives: プラスチックに係る資源循環の促進等に関する法律 (Act No. 60 of 2021), promulgated text Official · Consulted 14 October 2026
  2. Ministry of the Environment: Plastic Resource Circulation Act overview (English) Official · Consulted 14 October 2026
  3. Ministry of the Environment: プラスチック資源循環 Official · Consulted 14 October 2026
  4. METI and Ministry of the Environment: プラスチックに係る資源循環の促進等に関する法律について (pamphlet) Official · Consulted 14 October 2026

Written by the SPI team on 14 October 2026. Sources checked as of 14 October 2026. SPI analysis, not legal advice; always rely on the official text.

Audit trail

Change history

Verified: a second SPI team member re-checked every fact above against the source on 13 October 2026. Any later change to the facts sends the rule back to Sourced and is logged here.

  1. Verified by a second SPI team member

  2. Added to the tracker

Spotted an error? Write to sales@strategicpackaginginsights.com quoting PR-JP-001 and the source. Corrections are logged in this history.

Other jurisdictions

Other rules elsewhere

The same type of rule for the same materials in other jurisdictions, by the date it applies.

RuleWhereTypeMaterialsStatusApplies from
EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) appliesPR-EU-001European UnionOtherAll packagingIn force12 August 2026
Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC repealedPR-EU-013European UnionOtherAll packagingExpired–

Every other rule in the tracker

ClosingAsk the SPI team

Ask the SPI team

Does this rule apply to your packs?

Tell us your products, materials and markets. An analyst maps the obligations, fees and deadlines that apply, with every source.

Request a briefing

Prefer email? Write to sales@strategicpackaginginsights.com.

Questions people bring
  1. Q1

    Which packaging rules apply to us in each market we sell in?

    We map each market's EPR, tax, ban, recycled-content, labelling and deposit rules against your materials and formats, and show which are in force, adopted or only proposed.

  2. Q2

    What could EPR fees and plastic taxes cost us next year?

    We apply published fee tables and tax rates to your tonnages and recycled content, and show the result as scenarios with every rate sourced.

  3. Q3

    Can you tell us when a rule changes?

    Yes. The free tracker alerts cover rule changes by country; a monitoring retainer adds monthly notes on what the changes mean for your portfolio.