Current Situation in the Resources & Environment Segment

In the wastepaper recycling business in 2017, we further enhanced our nationwide wastepaper recovery network in Japan and bolstered procurement and supply with the acquisition of Fukudasansho. We also expanded our network outside Japan with the establishment of OVOL Fibre Solution India, which began business operations in 2018.

In addition to the recycling of recovered paper, the Japan Pulp & Paper Group reuses waste plastic through its comprehensive recycling business. At Eco-Port Kyushu, plastic discarded by businesses and communities is collected and sorted for either material recycling and use as a raw material, or thermal recycling and use as a solid fuel. We have achieved more efficient recycling, and are promoting effective use of recycled resources and reduced use of fossil fuels, a limited resource.

In response to Japanese societal demand for energy that is safe and environmentally friendly, the Japan Pulp & Paper Group’s power generation business uses energy from renewable solar and woody biomass resources, which can be procured domestically, as alternatives to energy from fossil fuels.

In addition, we established OVOL New Energy in Malaysia to strengthen our biomass fuel business. This company collects palm kernel shells (PKS), a fuel source for woody biomass power generation plants, and exports them to Japan and other countries. It is also supplying PKS to woody biomass power generation plants in the Japan Pulp & Paper Group as well as to outside companies.

Realizing a Circular Economy

The Japan Pulp & Paper Group is developing its business with the aim of creating a circular economy in order to realize its mission to carve a better future for society and the environment. The business of recycling wastepaper, which is becoming increasingly important as a raw material for papermaking, and the papermaking business, which uses wastepaper as a raw material, work together to contribute to the resource cycle. In regard to the energy cycle, we are promoting power generation using renewable energy.