Regenerating Difficult-to-recycle Plastic Waste into Consumer Goods – Contributing to the resolution of the global plastic waste problem with Furukawa Electric’s unique technology

TOKYO, JAPAN – Media
OutReach – 22
January 2021 – Furukawa Electric has developed a unique technology to
regenerate difficult-to-recycle plastic waste, such as Flexible packaging
waste, into high strength reinforced plastic.

Flexible packaging, due to its
lightweight, durability and quality, is regularly used for the protection of
food and daily goods.  However, since
flexible packaging is often made from layers of different plastic materials, as
well as Aluminium and paper, for most cases such waste ends up in landfill or
incinerated.

The technology which we have developed
utilizes the Cellulose Fiber of paper waste as a reinforcement source, by
defibrating the paper into Cellulose fibers, and to disperse the fibers into
the plastic in a single process.  With
this technology, the tensile strength of the original plastic can be increased
up to approximately double that of its original state, allowing the regenerated
material to be used for various end applications.

Since 2019, this technology has been
used for our cable related products, and has further succeeded in producing
ballpoint pens made from various flexible packaging with the co-operation from
Zebra Co., Ltd, and have put to use.

Not limiting to our company’s products, we
will continue to coordinate and collaborate with all parties in the recycling
value chain by expanding the range of this technology’s use to include
applications such as stationery, furniture, electrical appliances and
automobile parts.  By enhancing plastic
recycling worldwide, we will contribute in solving the problem of plastic
waste.

News release URL:
https://www.furukawa.co.jp/en/release/2020/fun_20201218.html