PET Recycling, Chemical Recycling, Kirin Holdings, Japan Steel Works, Circular Economy
Revolutionary PET Chemical Recycling Breakthrough Delivers Massive Win for Circular Economy
Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, through its Packaging Innovation Institute, alongside The Japan Steel Works, Ltd. (JSW), has announced a major leap forward in sustainable materials technology. The companies have successfully demonstrated an industrial-scale alkaline depolymerization technique using JSW’s Twin Screw Extruder TEX αⅢ series.
This milestone moves the plastic packaging sector significantly closer to commercial-grade, continuous circular recycling for materials that standard processing methods cannot handle.
Overcoming the Bottlenecks of Traditional Plastic Recycling
While mechanical recycling remains the primary method for processing used beverage bottles, it faces steep limitations. Mechanical systems generally require highly purified feedstock, mostly limited to clean drink containers. When faced with colored plastics, non-food grade containers, or mixed textile waste, mechanical methods fall short.
Conventional chemical recycling methods (such as standard hydrolysis, methanolysis, and glycolysis) can break polymers down to the molecular level to create virgin-quality material. However, these traditional processes historically demand extreme temperatures, high energy consumption, and extended reaction periods.
The new joint technology addresses these barriers by utilizing a mechanochemical reaction. By combining chemical agents with mechanical forces—specifically high friction and intense shearing within the twin-screw extruder—the process accelerates bond cleavage without depending solely on thermal energy. PET chemical recycling breakthrough
| Metric / Parameter | Demonstration Achievement |
| Depolymerization Rate | Exceeds 95% PET breakdown |
| Processing Throughput | Stable operation at ≥ 250 kg/h |
| Equipment Used | JSW Twin Screw Extruder TEX αⅢ Series |
| Core Mechanism | Mechanochemical alkaline depolymerization |
Scalable Performance for Commercial-Grade Processing
The demonstration marked the first Japanese trial of an alkaline depolymerization process using production-scale twin-screw machinery designed to simulate real factory conditions. Key achievements from the trial include:
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High Yield Monomer Recovery: The process converted more than 95% of input PET into its constituent building blocks.
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Industrial Throughput: Operations maintained continuous stability at processing speeds of 250 kg/h or higher.
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Energy-Efficient Design: Lower reaction times and reduced heat requirements significantly diminish operational carbon footprints compared to legacy solvolysis systems.
This technological foundation provides critical operational metrics for designing full-scale commercial recycling facilities. PET chemical recycling breakthrough
Broader Industry Context and Future Implementation
The development comes at a critical time for global waste management strategies. While recent industry reports emphasize that chemical recycling technologies face cost challenges relative to virgin plastic production, high-yield processes exceeding 90% recovery—such as this mechanochemical approach—offer the structural efficiency required to make advanced recycling economically viable.
Kirin Group plans to use this technology to advance its target of utilizing 50% recycled resin across its domestic PET bottle portfolio by 2027, as part of its Environmental Vision 2050. Moving forward, Kirin and JSW will evaluate applying this technology across broader PET supply chains, including non-food grade materials and complex waste streams, while collaborating with local governments and industry partners to achieve commercial deployment. PET chemical recycling breakthrough
The detailed technical findings of the trial are scheduled for presentation at the 57th Autumn Meeting of the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan.
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