The Sumitomo Chemical Group Establishes Basic Policy Towards a Circular System for Plastics

Jun. 19, 2020

Sumitomo Chemical has established the "Sumitomo Chemical Group Basic Policy Towards a Circular System for Plastics" (hereinafter, "the Policy"), which sets out the Group's commitment to working towards building a circular system for plastics and resolving plastic waste problems.

Plastics are a useful material that supports people's lives, used in automobiles, aircraft, electronic devices, various forms of packaging and other diverse applications. Meanwhile, plastics have caused global environmental problems such as marine plastics pollution for they are not treated or recycled properly and adequately after use.

Sumitomo Chemical has defined contribution to developing a circular system for plastics as one of its high-priority and material management issues. The Company has, for years, developed and supplied products that help reduce or reuse plastics, such as resins for thinning plastic films and materials for films suitable for refill containers. In recent years, the Company also has been carrying out multiple projects with other companies and academia to develop chemical recycling technologies. In order to accelerate these efforts and enhance its capacity in this area, the Company established a new research group dedicated to the development of technologies for the mitigation of environmental impact in April 2020. Furthermore, it is actively participating in alliances at home and abroad, including the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), to work on challenges that are difficult to resolve alone. Under the Policy, the Sumitomo Chemical Group will further step up efforts towards building a circular system for plastics and resolving plastic waste problems.

The Sumitomo Chemical Group will remain committed to creating a sustainable society through its business while achieving its sustained growth, and continue to work as one to resolve issues facing society such as building a circular system for plastics.

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