Packaging rule · Japan · EPR
Containers and Packaging Recycling Act
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) rule covering plastic, paper and board, glass in Japan, set by Ministry of the Environment. Applies since 1 April 1997.
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
- Rule type
- EPR
- Materials
- Plastic, Paper and board, Glass
- Status
- In force Enacted
- Adopted or published
- 1 April 1997
- Applies from
- 1 April 1997
From the source“平成７年６月に制定され、平成９年４月から本格施行された法律です。”
Official source Ministry of the Environment: 容器包装リサイクル法とはOfficial (government or regulator) · consulted 13 October 2026
Key dates
Adopted or published 29 years ago
Applies from 29 years ago
Source consulted by the SPI team today
What it means
SPI analysis Our reading of the official source above. Not legal advice; always rely on the official text.
SPI summary
Businesses that use, make or import containers and packaging are obliged to recycle them. Enacted June 1995 and applied from April 1997 to glass and PET bottles; paper and plastic containers and packaging were added in 2000. The amended Act was passed on 9 June 2006 and promulgated on 15 June 2006.
In practice
Japan's Containers and Packaging Recycling Act splits roles: consumers sort, municipalities collect, and businesses that use containers and packaging for their goods, or that make or import containers, pay for recycling, in practice by contracting the designated organisation, the Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association. Obligations cover glass bottles, PET bottles, paper containers and packaging and plastic containers and packaging. Brand owners and container makers selling in Japan carry the recycling cost for these materials.
Who is in scope
- Businesses that sell goods using containers or packaging
- Businesses that manufacture or import containers
- Glass bottles, PET bottles, paper containers and packaging (excluding cardboard and paper drink cartons), plastic containers and packaging (excluding PET bottles)
Who is not
- Aluminium cans, steel cans, cardboard and paper drink cartons without aluminium, which the Ministry says are not subject to the obligation
What to do and by when
- NowCheck whether each Japanese entity uses or makes obligated containers and packaging and holds a contract with the designated organisation.
- NowMap annual volumes by material, since glass, PET, paper and plastic are handled as separate categories.
- NowLook for weight reduction and refill options, which the Ministry lists as expected business efforts.
Related rules
- PR-JP-001 Plastic Resource Circulation Act
Plastic Resource Circulation Act builds on this scheme for municipal plastics collection. - PR-GB-002 UK packaging EPR regulations (pEPR) 2024
UK packaging EPR, another producer-funded system. - PR-CA-004 British Columbia packaging and paper product EPR (Recycle BC)
British Columbia's long-running packaging stewardship programme. - PR-VN-001 Decree 110/2026/ND-CP on producer and importer recycling and waste treatment responsibility
Viet Nam's EPR covers similar materials with fixed recycling rates.
Where the record is unclear
- Small business exemptions are not explained on the Ministry page consulted.
- Exact enactment and implementation days are not stated on the page (June 1995; April 1997; paper and plastic containers from 2000).
Sources for this note
- Ministry of the Environment: 容器包装リサイクル法とは Consulted 13 October 2026
Note written by the SPI team on 13 October 2026.
Where it sits in the tracker
- One of 2 packaging rules we track in Japan, of which 1 are EPR rules.
- In all, 25 EPR rules are tracked across 15 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.
Change history
Sourced: an SPI analyst recorded the facts above from the official source. A second SPI team member has not re-checked it yet. Every change is logged here.
Changed: SPI summary, rate note
Verified by a second SPI team member
Changed: quote
Added to the tracker
Spotted an error? Write to sales@strategicpackaginginsights.com quoting PR-JP-002 and the source. Corrections are logged in this history.
EPR rules elsewhere
The same type of rule for the same materials in other jurisdictions, by the date it applies.
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.
Prefer email? Write to sales@strategicpackaginginsights.com.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.