The transition to a circular economy is the key to increasing resource efficiency, minimizing the extraction of new resources, energy consumption, and waste generation by circulating resources and products at various stages of economic activity, as well as creating added value in the cycle and opening the door to new growth.

In December last year, the second Ministerial Meeting on the Circular Economy was held, and the “Package for Accelerating the Transition to a Circular Economy” was decided at the meeting. Prime Minister Ishiba instructed ministries and agencies to swiftly implement the policy package, and stated that the Ministerial Council will continue to serve as a control tower to promote the transition to a circular economy as a national strategy.

Based on the basic concept of the “Package for Accelerating the Transition to a Circular Economy,” the Council for the Promotion of Resource Circulation held a roundtable discussion between the Ministry of the Environment and circular economy startups on May 28, 2025, with the aim of promoting the transition to a circular economy. Circular economy start-up businesses were joined by members with innovative technologies and business models in the circular economy field.

On the day of the event, the Ministry of the Environment’s Office in charge of the circular economy, the Decarbonization Support Organization Co., Ltd., the directors of the Council, and the operators of circular economy startups who are members of the Council participated in a lively exchange of opinions.

In order to promote the transition to a circular economy, the Council will continue to strive to create contact points for policy-making among relevant ministries and agencies and to create opportunities to support the growth of circular economy startups in collaboration with related ministries and agencies.

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Outline of the event

Date & Time: Wed 28 May 2025, 13:30 – 16:00

Venue: Ministry of the Environment, Conference Room 1

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Agenda

1. Attendee Introduction

2. Exchange of Opinions

• 2-1. Opening remarks from the Ministry of the Environment
• 2-2. Explanation from the Resource Circulation Promotion Council
• 2-3. Business introductions from circular economy startups, requests to the Ministry of the Environment, and exchange of opinions
• 2-4. Startup-related initiatives at the Ministry of the Environment
  • (1) Introduction of initiatives from the Environmental Research and Technology Office, Policy Division, Minister’s Secretariat
  • (2) Introduction of initiatives from the Decarbonization Support Organization
  • (3) Exchange of opinions
• 2-5. About the Resource Recycling Local Government Forum
  • (1) Explanation from the Environmental Reclamation and Resource Recycling Bureau, Recycling-Oriented Society Promotion Office
  • (2) Announcement of a proposal for collaboration with the Resource Recycling Local Government Forum from a startup
  • (3) Exchange of opinions
• 2-6. Closing remarks from the Resource Circulation Promotion Council

3. Networking

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participant

Ministry of the Environment

• Environmental Reclamation and Resource Recycling Bureau, General Affairs Division Manager, Takashi Hatomoto
• Environmental Reclamation and Resource Recycling Bureau, Waste Regulation Division Manager, Naoyuki Matsuda
• Environmental Restoration and Resource Recycling Bureau, General Manager, Recycling-Oriented Society Promotion Office, Ryota Kondo
• Environmental Reclamation and Resource Recycling Bureau, General Manager, Containers, Packaging, and Plastic Resource Recycling Office, Yusuke Inoue
• Nobuo Okumura, Director, Environmental Research and Technology Office, Policy Division, Minister’s Secretariat
• Environmental Restoration and Resource Recycling Bureau, Recycling-Oriented Society Promotion Office, Assistant Director, Satoshi Sekiyama
• Decarbonization Support Organization, Inc. Business Promotion Department 1 General Manager Yoshitaka Fukui

Circular Economy Startups (Members of the Council)

• JOYCLE Inc.
  President & CEO Yutaro Koyanagi
  COO Tatsuya Motohashi
• Digglue Inc.
  CEO Hideyuki Hara
  Representative Director and COO: Hajime Nakatani
• TBM Inc.
  Executive Officer, General Manager of CSuO Sustainability Division, Tokuro Hatori
  Itsuki Sasaki, Plant Division, Resource Recycling Business Division
• Force Tech Inc.
  Director CMO Takayoshi Kishi
  General Manager, Business Co-Creation Office, Kenichi Okada
• RadarLab Inc.
  CEO Nari Yu
  COO Reifumi Katayama

Resource Circulation Promotion Council (Roundtable Discussion Secretariat)

• Director (Representative Director of Tobimushi Co., Ltd.) Yoshiteru Takemoto
• Director (Representative Director, Startup Ecosystem Association) Ayumi Fujimoto
• Secretary General: Takayuki Sasaki