With the industrial development of the 20th century, mass production and mass consumption have become the norm, leading to serious resource depletion and environmental issues in recent years. To address these problems on a global scale, it is necessary to aim for sustainable consumption and recycling of everyday commodities. In response to this situation, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) established the Resource Circulation Utilization Technology Research Laboratory in 2019. Since then, the lab has been developing recycling technologies for organic and inorganic materials such as plastics and aluminum, as well as researching the recycling of substances like carbon dioxide, nitrogen compounds, and phosphorus, which pose environmental burdens and supply risks.

In this symposium, considering the increasing interest in resource circulation utilization technologies, we will introduce the main achievements of the research lab over the past five years. Additionally, we will have keynote and special lectures from prominent domestic experts, followed by a panel discussion to deepen the conversation. We hope this opportunity will help not only upstream material manufacturers but also downstream user companies and consumers who use general-purpose products to consider the future of resource circulation together with the industry.