Japan Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029

The Textile Recycling Market in Japan is primarily driven by a cultural ethos of environmental stewardship and sustainability. Japanese consumers have been increasing their demand for recycled textiles, trying to make purchasing commensurate with the rhetoric about environmental responsibility. Governments have been proactive in promoting sustainability in all walks of life, including textiles. Policies and regulations encourage businesses to take up recycling practices and reduce waste. This regulatory environment has, therefore, given the textile recycling market a conducive environment to thrive by setting a supportive framework in which businesses and consumers are called upon to actively engage in sustainable practices. Additionally, Japan is technologically very advanced and has been on the frontline in the development of state-of-the-art textile recycling technologies. These innovations have been at the front in the development of such technologies as chemical recycling and state-of-the-art sorting technologies that increase efficiency in the textile recycling process. These technological innovations provide impetus not only to the growth of the market but also help pave the way for Japan to occupy a leadership position in the realm of sustainable textile practices across the globe. Also, the really close cooperation existing between the textile industry, technology companies, and research institutions enhances growth prospects further. This collaboration can be aimed at creating effective recycling methods, popularizing sustainable techniques more extensively within society, and encouraging high-quality recycled textiles. This synergy among the sectors leads to a holistic approach toward textile recycling. Awareness of the impact of the textile waste on the environment among Japanese consumers is another major driving force for the growth of this market. Through educational campaigns and publicity on the advantages of textile recycling, there is now a turnaround in consumer behavior. This heightened level of awareness encourages more people to engage in recycling programs and deliberately selects products manufactured from recycled material.

According to the research report "Japan Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029," published by Bonafide Research, the Japan textile recycling market is anticipated to grow at more than 5 % CAGR from 2024 to 2029. In Japan, sustainability has been part of the cultural values, greatly influencing the consumer behavior and how business is done. This is a worldview, harnessed in the concept of Mottainai —fostering respect for resources, reduction of wastes, and reducing costs. From this cultural worldview, it fosters interest in the adoption of practices that respect the environment included people and businesses are speeding up efforts in recycling and upcycling. Japanese consumers tend to be more receptive to products made from recycled materials, often regarding them as environment-friendly and evidence of social responsibility. Such a cultural base is instrumental in providing a market environment wherein sustainability would be paramount, and innovative recycling solutions would be most welcome. Innovations in terms of product design and development are crucial for maximizing the potential for recovered fibers to be converted into recycled textiles. Japanese companies are increasingly extending the reach to new applications of recycled material use, from clothes and apparels to home goods and industrial textiles. Some brands have already started making clothing ranges using recycled fibers for customers who are more responsive to these kinds of sustainable fashion. One of the innovations ongoing at present is designing for circularity, which provides products designed for longevity and recyclability. The role of technological innovations in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of textile recycling processes in Japan is important. Better sorting and processing technologies have significantly improved the recovery rate of valuable fibers from post-consumer textiles. For instance, mechanical sorting systems use artificial intelligence and machine learning to sort textiles by fiber composition, color, and quality, enabling more efficient recycling.

The cotton category reigns supreme in the Japanese textile recycle market. This is contributed to by several factors. That's because cotton is one of the primary used materials in the Japanese textile sector, thereby resulting in a greater amount of waste. Secondly, its biodegradable properties also make it a preferred candidate to be recycled considering the strong feeling of environment consciousness in Japan. The fact that the infrastructure for cotton recycling, such as collection points and recycling facilities, is already in existence has somewhat been a driving factor. The fastest-growing market segment among textile recycling in Japan is polyester and polyester fiber. This has been fuelled by the growing use of polyester in the textile industry because of its affordability and durability. The advanced polyester recycling technologies make the yielding of recycled polyester more viable and less costly, thus also acting as a market-driven factor in the said segment. The other driving segment would be the commitment by Japan to reduce plastic waste, including that of polyester. Nylon & Nylon Fiber is another segment that is projected to grow using recycled nylon materials for products in apparel and other textile items, as well as carpets and flooring. Although the recycling of nylons is not as popular as it is for cotton or polyester, through new advanced technologies, the recycling of nylons has become available. The wool category involves the recycling of wool fibres. Wool is natural and biodegradable but recycling remains challenging, especially because the structure of the fibres is different. However, wool recycling has been encouraged in some projects in Japan. Other segment includes recycling other textile materials, for example, silk, rayon, and blended fabrics.

The apparel wastes segment leads the textile recycling market in Japan. This can be attributed mainly to the high rate of consumption and disposal of clothing in Japan. Drivers such as fast fashion trends, style changes, and the cultural importance of seasonal clothing keep a large volume of apparel wastes. Japanese used clothing also has very wide networks for collection and recycling facilities that developed long ago, thus supporting the stronghold position of this segment. The home furnishing waste segment is growing in the Japanese textile recycling market. This growth can be attributed to increased awareness and concern by consumers about the significance of recycling home textiles, including bedding, curtains, and upholstery. As Japan aims for more of a circular economy, that increasingly calls for the recycling of materials rather than their disposal. Another major driver is the continuous advancement in recycling technologies, making it increasingly possible to process and recycle home furnishing textiles, which boosts growth in this segment. Automotive Waste segment refers to the recycling of textile materials used in vehicles such as seat covers, carpets, and airbags. Although the waste is not voluminous compared to apparel waste, an opportunity for increased recycling in this segment comes due to the rising number of end-of-life vehicles in Japan. Besides, regulations and initiatives encourage vehicle recycling, adding to its growth. Others includes textile waste coming from all other sources, including industrial textiles, filters, and other miscellaneous textile products. Although these materials not form any large proportion of the textile recycling market, they are still significant in Japan's waste reduction plan.

Japan's textile recycling market is dominated by the post-consumer waste segment, with the post-consumer category expected to grow in this period. This would include products that have completed their useful life and have been discarded by consumers, such as used clothing, bedding, and other textile items. Since the nation has a strong consumption rate and little product durability, this would dominate the market by virtue of its being the most percentage-generated textile waste in Japan. This segment's growth is fueled by increasing awareness among Japanese consumers about the environmental impact from textile waste and the need to recycle. Well-developed collection systems in Japan, such as second-hand cloth shops, take-back programs, and municipal recycling initiatives, thus provide an easy pathway for post-consumer textile waste to be recycled. The pre-consumer waste segment was smaller in Japan's textile recycling market. Pre-consumer waste is regarded as that portion of waste that falls during the processing stage and examples include scraps of fabric, yarn waste, and offcuts. This industry has recently not been growing at a very fast rate, the reason being the measures taken by textile manufacturers in Japan in reducing the generation of waste through the introduction of better production practices that involve efficient use of materials. Nevertheless, pre-consumer waste recycling remains highly relevant to the minimization of landfill waste and the achievement of a more circular economy.



The mechanical recycling segment currently dominates Japan's textile recycling market. Mechanical recycling is a process of physically breaking textile wastes into smaller components, such as fibers or shreds, that are re-utilized or recycled. The process has had wide usage in Japan because it is simple, less expensive, and very applicable to many textile materials, particularly cotton and other natural fibers. Additionally, it is supported by the already developed infrastructure for mechanical recycling in terms of collection points and processing facilities. The chemical recycling segment is that portion of the textile recycling market in Japan that is growing at the fastest rate. Chemical recycling refers to the process whereby textile wastes are broken down into their very molecular elements through chemical means and then reconstituted into new materials. This methodology, therefore, offers much promise for the recycling of synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, which cannot easily be mechanically recycled. Improving recycling technologies such as depolymerization and solvent-based processes drive this segment toward better efficiency and lower costs for chemical recycling. Further, Japan's resolve toward mitigating plastic wastes and establishing a circular economy has elicited investment and increased research in chemical recycling technologies.

Considered in this report
• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report
• Textile Recycling market Outlook with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Material
• Cotton
• Polyester & Polyester Fiber
• Nylon & Nylon Fiber
• Wool
• Others

By Source
• Apparel Waste
• Home Furnishing Waste
• Automotive Waste
• Others

By End-Use Industry
• Apparel
• Home Furnishings
• Industrial & Institutional
• Others

By Textile Waste
• Post-consumer
• Pre-consumer

By Process
• Mechanical
• Chemicals

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary and secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list the companies that are present in it. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources, primary research was conducted by conducting telephone interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; we have started making primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting them in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us, we can start verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, and organizations related to the Textile Recycling industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.