Tomra Japan wins a METI Minister Award

Tomra Japan received the METI Minister Award at the FY2017 Awards for Distinguished Contributors in Promotion of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle organized by the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Promotion Association (3R Promotion Association*). The Awards are granted to individuals and groups (schools, businesses, local governments and other entities) that have made efforts to promote reduction, reuse and recycling and achieved excellent results through continuous activities.

Tomra Japan offers efficient solutions for resource recovery that are conducive to the establishment of a resource recycling system in Japan. To collect used PET beverage containers, the company installs reverse vending machines (RVM) at supermarkets and other major mass retailers. Used PET bottles can be deposited into RVMs, which then crush them on the spot to reduce their size. With the use of RVMs, Tomra Japan collected 9,300 tons of used PET bottles (about 300 million bottles) in 2016. This is equivalent to about 1.5% of all PET bottle beverages sold in Japan in the same year. Since its establishment in 2008, Tomra Japan has collected more than one billion PET bottles. It was in recognition of these efforts that Tomra Japan was presented with the METI Minister Award.

At the award ceremony held in the KKR Hotel Tokyo on Tuesday, October 31, Tomra Japan president Mr. Sonny Söderberg was presented with a certificate of commendation. As a recipient of the METI Minister Award, Tomra Japan will continue to contribute to increasing the recycling rate of PET bottles in Japan through its business operations.

*3R Promotion Association:
With the aim of promoting the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) across Japan in collaboration with consumers, educational institutions, industrial associations, administrative bodies and many other entities, the 3R Promotion Association implements a wide spectrum of nationwide initiatives.