Panasonic Eco Technology Center (PETEC) conducts activities to improve the grade of recycled resources through reinforced collaboration with Panasonic Group companies in order to promote the establishment of a recycling system based on the cycle of "producing → using → returning → utilizing." In 2014, PETEC created a flow of processes from returning recycled resources to the "manufacturing floor" to reusing them as materials for new products, together with the Tojo Factory of Panasonic Production Engineering Co., Ltd. (PPE) and the Kato Resin Circulation Factory of the Appliances Company (AP Company).

[Roles of Individual Factories]

PETEC (Panasonic Eco Technology Center):
Efficient recovery of high-grade, high-quality resources

Panasonic Production Engineering Co., Ltd. (PPE), Tojo Factory:
This factory finely sorts and processes mainly metals from the resources recovered by PETEC. For example, the factory uses multi-product sorters and other equipment to accurately retrieve metal materials from heat exchangers (air conditioners), compressors (air conditioners, refrigerators) and motors according to the type and purity of recovered resources. Then, sorted resources are shipped for reuse in the manufacture of new products.

Appliances Company (AP Company), Kato Resin Circulation Factory:
AP Company undertakes the sorting and processing of primarily resins. For example, at this factory, resins recovered from refrigerators by PETEC are sorted by color, processed for the removal of metals, added with additives to improve their strength, and then formed into pellets. These pellets are used as materials for new products.

The recycling technology and know-how fostered by PETEC since 2001 is shared and utilized by the entire Panasonic Group. By ensuring maximum use of recycled resources, we promote and solidify our basic recycling concept of "product to product." This in turn conserves precious natural resources and contributes to the global environment and society.

To have easily recyclable products, it should not cost much and not require too many manual operations when recycling. In other words, easily recyclable products must consider how they will be recycled at the end of their service life from the very first stage of designing.

For example, more than twice as many screws and parts were used for older model TVs than for recent models. The more complicated the assembled product, and the more parts used in it, the more time it takes to dismantle it. Also, it takes lots of time to sort materials because there are so many kinds of materials used.