While Japan's plastics industry stands as an intricate engine powering everything from your car's dashboard to the drink in your hand, its complex reality—revealed by a total production volume of nearly 16 million tons in 2022—is one of strategic growth, evolving demand, and a world-leading commitment to circularity.
Key Takeaways
- Japan's total plastic products production volume in fiscal year 2022 was 15,872 thousand tons, up 1.8% from the previous year, driven by demand in packaging and automotive sectors.
- Production of polyethylene (PE) resins in Japan reached 4.2 million tons in 2022, accounting for 31% of total synthetic resin output.
- Polypropylene (PP) production in Japan for FY2022 stood at 3.8 million tons, with a growth rate of 2.5% year-on-year.
- Plastic resin apparent consumption in Japan for FY2022 was 16.2 million tons.
- Packaging sector consumed 6.8 million tons of plastics in 2022, 42% of total.
- Automotive plastics consumption reached 1.6 million tons in FY2022.
- Japan's plastic exports value in 2022 was 8.5 billion USD.
- Plastic resin exports volume reached 3.2 million tons in FY2022.
- Exports to China accounted for 35% of Japan's plastic exports in 2022, valued at 3.0 billion USD.
- Plastic recycling rate in Japan was 86% for FY2022.
- Plastic waste generation in Japan totaled 8.35 million tons in 2022.
- PET bottle recycling volume reached 2.8 million tons in FY2022, 92.4% collection rate.
- Japan plastics industry market size valued at 45 trillion JPY in 2022.
- Plastics industry contributed 2.1% to Japan's manufacturing GDP in FY2022.
- Number of establishments in plastics industry was 12,500 in 2022.
Japan's plastic industry grew modestly in 2022, led by strong packaging and automotive sector demand.
Domestic Consumption
- Plastic resin apparent consumption in Japan for FY2022 was 16.2 million tons.
- Packaging sector consumed 6.8 million tons of plastics in 2022, 42% of total.
- Automotive plastics consumption reached 1.6 million tons in FY2022.
- Electrical/electronics sector used 2.1 million tons of plastics in 2022.
- Construction industry plastics demand was 1.4 million tons in FY2022.
- PE consumption in Japan totaled 5.1 million tons in 2022.
- PP plastics consumption stood at 4.2 million tons in FY2022.
- PVC consumption volume was 2.3 million tons in 2022.
- PET resin domestic use reached 1.4 million tons in FY2022.
- PS consumption in Japan was 1.0 million tons in 2022.
- Engineering plastics consumption totaled 1.5 million tons in FY2022.
- Plastic film consumption was 2.6 million tons in 2022.
- Plastic bottle consumption volume hit 0.7 million tons in FY2022.
- Household plastics use was 2.8 million tons in 2022.
- Industrial plastics consumption reached 3.2 million tons in FY2022.
- Agricultural film consumption stood at 0.5 million tons in 2022.
- Medical plastics demand was 0.4 million tons in FY2022.
- Per capita plastic consumption in Japan was 128 kg in 2022.
- Food packaging plastics use totaled 3.1 million tons in 2022.
- Beverage packaging plastics consumption was 1.2 million tons in FY2022.
Domestic Consumption Interpretation
Japan's 2022 plastic consumption tells a tale of modern life, where we wrap our food (3.1 million tons), package our drinks (1.2 million tons), build our world, drive our cars, and power our gadgets, all while each person, on average, personally shoulders 128 kilograms of the plastic burden, with nearly half of it all destined for a single, fleeting purpose: packaging.
Economic Impact and Employment
- Japan plastics industry market size valued at 45 trillion JPY in 2022.
- Plastics industry contributed 2.1% to Japan's manufacturing GDP in FY2022.
- Number of establishments in plastics industry was 12,500 in 2022.
- Employment in plastics sector totaled 450,000 persons in FY2022.
- Average annual salary in plastics industry 5.2 million JPY in 2022.
- R&D expenditure in plastics industry reached 1.8 trillion JPY in FY2022.
- Plastics export ratio to production was 22% in 2022.
- Industry shipment value 42.5 trillion JPY in FY2022.
- Profit margin average 4.5% for plastics firms in 2022.
- Investment in new facilities 1.2 trillion JPY in FY2022.
- SMEs comprise 95% of plastics companies in Japan 2022.
- Productivity per worker 120 million JPY in plastics sector FY2022.
- Carbon emission intensity down 15% since 2013 in 2022.
- Top 10 plastics firms revenue totaled 20 trillion JPY in 2022.
- Patent filings in plastics tech 5,200 in FY2022.
- Energy consumption 25 million kl oil equivalent in plastics FY2022.
- Market growth rate 1.2% CAGR 2018-2022 for plastics.
- Forecast market size 48 trillion JPY by 2025.
- Shipment value for plastic products 28 trillion JPY in 2022.
Economic Impact and Employment Interpretation
Japan's plastics industry is a paradox of colossal scale and wafer-thin margins, where 12,500 firms—mostly SMEs—pivot with impressive R&D grit on a 4.5% profit tightrope, all while quietly greening their act and shipping nearly a quarter of its output abroad.
International Trade
- Japan's plastic exports value in 2022 was 8.5 billion USD.
- Plastic resin exports volume reached 3.2 million tons in FY2022.
- Exports to China accounted for 35% of Japan's plastic exports in 2022, valued at 3.0 billion USD.
- Plastic products exports totaled 4.1 million tons in 2022.
- PE exports from Japan were 1.1 million tons in FY2022.
- PP plastic exports volume stood at 0.9 million tons in 2022.
- PVC exports reached 0.6 million tons in FY2022.
- PET exports were 0.3 million tons in 2022.
- Engineering plastics exports totaled 0.5 million tons in FY2022.
- Plastic film exports volume was 0.7 million tons in 2022.
- Imports of plastic resins into Japan were 2.8 million tons in FY2022.
- Plastic products imports value reached 12.3 billion USD in 2022.
- Imports from China made up 45% of Japan's plastic imports in FY2022.
- Trade balance for plastics was a surplus of 2.1 billion USD in 2022.
- Exports to ASEAN countries totaled 2.5 billion USD in FY2022.
- US plastic imports from Japan were 1.2 billion USD in 2022.
- EU plastic imports from Japan reached 0.8 billion USD in FY2022.
- South Korea plastic imports from Japan were 1.0 billion USD in 2022.
International Trade Interpretation
Japan's plastic industry is floating on a sea of trade surpluses, but it's anchored by a significant reliance on China—both as its biggest customer and its biggest supplier.
Production and Capacity
- Japan's total plastic products production volume in fiscal year 2022 was 15,872 thousand tons, up 1.8% from the previous year, driven by demand in packaging and automotive sectors.
- Production of polyethylene (PE) resins in Japan reached 4.2 million tons in 2022, accounting for 31% of total synthetic resin output.
- Polypropylene (PP) production in Japan for FY2022 stood at 3.8 million tons, with a growth rate of 2.5% year-on-year.
- PVC resin production volume in Japan was 1.9 million tons in 2022, representing a slight decline of 0.5% due to raw material costs.
- PET resin production in Japan hit 1.1 million tons in 2022, boosted by beverage packaging demand.
- Polystyrene (PS) production reached 0.85 million tons in FY2022, with expanded polystyrene (EPS) at 0.4 million tons.
- ABS resin production in Japan was 0.72 million tons in 2022, primarily for automotive and electronics applications.
- Engineering plastics production totaled 1.2 million tons in 2022, up 3.2% from 2021.
- Synthetic resin production capacity in Japan as of 2022 was 18.5 million tons annually.
- Plastic film production volume in Japan reached 2.3 million tons in FY2022.
- Plastic sheet production was 1.1 million tons in 2022, mainly for construction and packaging.
- Plastic pipe production volume stood at 0.95 million tons in FY2022.
- Injection molded plastic products output was 4.5 million tons in 2022.
- Blow molded products production reached 1.8 million tons in FY2022.
- Calendered plastic products volume was 0.65 million tons in 2022.
- Thermoformed plastic products production hit 1.2 million tons in FY2022.
- Plastic bottle production in Japan was 0.55 million tons in 2022.
- Plastic container production volume reached 2.1 million tons in FY2022.
- Plastic packaging materials output was 6.3 million tons in 2022, 40% of total plastics.
- Automotive plastics production in Japan totaled 1.4 million tons in FY2022.
- Electrical and electronics plastics output was 1.8 million tons in 2022.
- Construction plastics production reached 1.2 million tons in FY2022.
- Medical plastics production volume was 0.3 million tons in 2022.
- Agricultural plastics output stood at 0.45 million tons in FY2022.
- Daily necessities plastics production was 1.5 million tons in 2022.
- In 2021, Japan's synthetic resin production was 13.8 million tons, a 1.5% increase YoY.
- Production of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) reached 1.2 million tons in 2021.
- High-density polyethylene (HDPE) output was 1.8 million tons in FY2021.
Production and Capacity Interpretation
Despite the persistent ghost of a global environmental conscience, Japan's plastic industry, fueled by our insatiable need to wrap, drive, and bottle everything, continues its stubborn, million-ton march forward, proving that convenience still weighs more heavily on the scales than conservation.
Recycling and Waste Management
- Plastic recycling rate in Japan was 86% for FY2022.
- Plastic waste generation in Japan totaled 8.35 million tons in 2022.
- PET bottle recycling volume reached 2.8 million tons in FY2022, 92.4% collection rate.
- Chemical recycling of plastics processed 0.15 million tons in 2022.
- Material recycling rate for plastics was 28% in FY2022.
- Thermal recycling volume for plastics stood at 5.2 million tons in 2022.
- Plastic shopping bag reduction reached 80% since 2020 fee implementation in FY2022.
- Biomass plastic production was 0.12 million tons in 2022.
- Marine plastic waste from Japan estimated at 0.02 million tons annually in 2022.
- Plastic resource circulation promotion law compliance rate 95% in FY2022.
- Recycled PET resin use in bottles was 68% in 2022.
- Plastic waste incineration energy recovery was 45 PJ in FY2022.
- EPR scheme covered 90% of plastic packaging by 2022.
- Microplastics release from wastewater treatment <1% of total in 2022.
- Plastic to oil conversion volume 0.08 million tons in FY2022.
- Recycling facilities number increased to 1,250 in 2022.
- Food tray recycling rate hit 75% in FY2022.
Recycling and Waste Management Interpretation
While Japan's impressive 86% plastic recycling rate paints a picture of near-total circularity, the sobering truth is that the system largely runs on the fiery, fuel-like crutch of thermal "recycling," processing over five million tons a year to keep its massive waste generation from piling up.
Sources & References
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