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Japan (JP)Published: 21 November 2025
[Regulatory Update] Japan's reporting regime under the Resource Circulation Advancement Act moves into full operation from 2026 — requiring large-scale disposal operators to report recycling performance
Source:Ministry of the Environment (Japan)
The "Act on the Advancement of Resource Recycling and Recycling Businesses for the Promotion of Resource Circulation" was promulgated in May 2024 and, following partial implementation, came into full effect on 21 November 2025. To advance both the quality and quantity of recycled resources and decarbonisation together, the Act establishes an advancement scheme for recycling businesses, a certification system, and a reporting and disclosure regime.
Under the reporting and disclosure regime, "specified industrial waste disposal operators" — companies that dispose of 10,000 tonnes or more of industrial waste, or 1,500 tonnes or more of waste plastics, per year — are covered. They are required to report the previous fiscal year's disposal and recycling volumes by 30 June each year.
Editor's View
Waste management is broadening from simply confirming "was this properly disposed of" to a system that quantitatively tracks and discloses how much was actually recycled. For manufacturers, this means that managing contracts with waste disposal operators is no longer enough — understanding the quality and quantity of resources returned as recycled material becomes part of building a circular supply chain; as the focus of waste regulation shifts from "disposal" to "returning as recycled resources," waste disposal operators become part of the supply chain itself.
※ This article is based on official public information from an external source (Ministry of the Environment (Japan)) and has been analyzed and organized for practical use.
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