Launch of Plastic Recycle Project for Iupizeta™ EP Resin～Targeting ZERO Waste of the Iupizeta™ EP Series～

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. (MGC; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masashi Fujii) will launch the “Specialty Polycarbonate Resin Recycle Project” to coincide with the completion today of a new plant for the manufacture of Iupizeta^TM EP specialty polycarbonate resin. The project is aimed at reducing plastic waste material, and MGC plans to eliminate the amount of waste generated during the manufacturing process of final products.

MGC’s specialty polycarbonate resin Iupizeta™ EP is a material widely used for high performance camera lens unit built into smartphones and tablets. Iupizeta™ EP has both a high refractive index and low birefringence. The Iupizeta™ EP series is an indispensable optical material that achieves these two requirements with good moldability, and has contributed to slimmer smartphone design since it was launched.

The final product, the camera lens, is produced by injection molding of Iupizeta™ EP resin. Sprues and runners are generated during this process and those sprues and runners are discarded as plastic waste.

Injection molded products (lens parts, sprues, runners)

The problem of plastic waste is a major global challenge today, and MGC has been working on the reduction of plastic waste for many years. As we have been able to achieve a certain level of recycling technology, MGC has launched this project as the “Specialty Polycarbonate Resin Recycle Project.” MGC will start this project by collecting and recycling sprues and runners in order to reduce plastic waste, with ZERO waste as the final target.

MGC has just completed construction of a new Iupizeta™ EP specialty polycarbonate plant at the Kashima Plant and will start commercial production in October 2019. With this expansion, the production capacity of Iupizeta™ EP specialty polycarbonate resin will increase to 5000 tons per year from the current 3000 tons per year. We are expecting further growth of compact camera lenses for smartphones and other devices, and will continue to respond to customer requirements by developing new technology.

“Reduce environmental impact and contribute to the sustainable development of communities” is one of our “Environment and Safety Policies.” MGC will implement various actions and initiatives in order to reduce environmental impact.

New plant at Kashima Plant


Smartphone with Iupizeta™ resin, camera lens unit and lenses