Toyota Tsusho Corporation ("Toyota Tsusho") announced today that its Group companies TOYOTA METAL CO., LTD. ("TOYOTA METAL") and K.K. PLANIC ("PLANIC") have received the highest honor, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, at the FY2026 Awards for Resources Recirculation Technologies and Systems. The awards are organized by the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry and supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The Awards for Resources Recirculation Technologies and Systems honor businesses and initiatives that contribute to the transition to a circular economy through efforts such as reducing resource and energy use, curbing the generation and discharge of waste (reduce), reusing products (reuse), and making effective use of recycled resources (recycle). Eligible projects range from developing advanced, sophisticated technologies and products to building social systems and business models.

The award-winning theme, "Car to Car Recycling through Resin Recovery from ASR and Pellet Production," is an initiative that has achieved Car to Car recycling, in which resources recovered from automobiles are circulated back into automobiles. Under this initiative, high-quality recycled plastic is recovered from ASR (Automotive Shredder Residue), which is generated after end-of-life vehicles are shredded, and commercialized as recycled polypropylene (PP) pellets for automotive use.
ASR-derived recycled PP has been adopted by Toyota Motor Corporation ("Toyota") for the front fender seal of the Crown "Sport" and the underbody cover of the RAV4.

As the global shift to a circular economy accelerates, there is growing demand in the automotive sector for wider use of recycled plastics derived from end-of-life vehicles. However, ASR, which is generated after end-of-life vehicles are shredded, contains a wide mix of materials. As a result, recovering high-quality plastics from ASR and reusing them as automotive materials has been considered technically difficult.

To address these challenges, TOYOTA METAL uses shredding and sorting technologies, including water flow separation equipment it developed in-house, to recover plastics from ASR with high efficiency. The company has built a system capable of processing approximately 30,000 tons of ASR per year and recovering approximately 8,100 tons of recycled plastic raw materials annually, equivalent to 27% by weight.
Meanwhile, PLANIC was established in 2018 to ensure a stable supply of recycled plastics for automobiles and began operating its plant in Omaezaki , Shizuoka Prefecture, in 2022. Using advanced gravity separation and electrostatic separation technologies, and with the cooperation of related suppliers, PLANIC manufactures recycled PP pellets that meet the quality required for automotive applications.

This initiative was made possible by TOYOTA METAL's ASR sorting technology and PLANIC's recycled PP manufacturing technology, together with continuous technical collaboration and cooperation with Toyota, KOJIMA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION, and other related companies.

The Toyota Tsusho Group will work to solve environmental issues by promoting the circular economy and contribute to building a sustainable society, thereby passing on a better Earth to the children of the future.