Japan Yamamura Glass Co., Ltd. has developed Japan’s first “polyethylene cloth” woven from used PET bottle caps in collaboration with TRIFE DESIGN and Hokushin Kasei Kogyo Co. The new polyethylene cloth material made from used PET bottle caps is the first of its kind in Japan, and is presented as a recycling-oriented model in which the entire process is completed in Japan. The aim of this project is to effectively utilize plastic waste, which is a global environmental issue, and its main feature is that different industries cooperate with each other to achieve the same goal.

The Nippon Yamamura Glass Plastics Company is working to realize a recycling-oriented society by recycling PET bottle caps into new valuable products. Until now, upcycling of exhausted PET bottle caps as raw materials has often employed molding methods using metal molds, which required a large initial investment. However, this development has made it possible to develop products with lower initial costs for molds and to process sewn products using polyethylene cloth. Therefore, we can expect to see this technology used in a wide variety of applications.

Polyethylene, the main raw material of PET bottle caps, has conventionally been processed by resin molding. The advantage of resin molding is that it is efficient and mass-producible, but the molds used for production require a large amount of money. By developing polyethylene cloth instead of resin molding, it is easier to process sewn products, and it is possible to develop products with lower initial costs such as molds.

There were several hurdles in the development of polyethylene cloth. First, there was no precedent for flat yarn made from collected PET bottle caps, so it took time and effort to establish a manufacturing process. We also had to overcome the technical challenge of maintaining the uniform quality of the flat yarn. Furthermore, great care was taken in the selection of materials and weaving methods to ensure that the polyethylene cloth would both improve performance and be sustainable. With the cooperation of our collaborative partners, TRIFEDESIGN Inc. and Hokushin Kasei Kogyo, a new polyethylene cloth material was created that is environmentally friendly, lightweight, and waterproof.

This recycling model minimizes transportation costs and environmental impact by completing the entire waste recycling process in Japan. It also contributes to the revitalization of the local economy and is a major step toward the realization of a sustainable society.