Eco-Friendly Materials

This report compiles trends in environmentally responsive materials for 2025, a year shaken by inflation, geopolitical risks, and shifts in U.S. environmental policies.
*This report was written based on the abstraction and re-edition of the following reports published by Yano Research Institute.

• Biomass Fillers Market 2025 (Published in March 2025) (in Japanese)
• Bioplastics Market 2025 (Published in April 2025) (in Japanese)
• High-Performance Films Market 2025 (Published in July 2025) (in Japanese)
• Polyethylene Market 2025 (Published in July 2025) (in Japanese)
• Polypropylene Market 2025 (Published o in July 2025) (in Japanese)
• Recycled Carbon Fiber Market 2025 (Published in October 2025) (in Japanese)
• Container Market 2025 (Published in December 2025) (in Japanese)

I. Status and Prospects of The Eco-Friendly Material Market

• Creating resilient materials unaffected by external environmental changes, shifting focus to promoting value beyond environmental considerations.
• Signs of a retreat in environmental initiatives such as carbon neutrality (CN) and carbon equivalent (CE) due to inflation, geopolitical risks, and shifts in U.S. environmental policies
• The medium-and-long-term environmental goals of achieving the SDGs by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 remain unchanged.
• The development of high-value materials that enhance users' competitive edge is required, rather than merely replacing existing materials.
• Strategy shifts required among eco-friendly material manufacturers

II. Trends in the Environmentally Friendly Materials Market

1. Biomass Fillers
   As materials that replace plastics derived from chemical resources, the use of biomass fillers in higher-value applications is advancing.
   1-1. Cellulose (CeF)
   1-2. Wood Flour (from forest thinning and from waste wood)
   1-3. Cocoa Pod Husk
   1-4. Eggshells
   1-5. Other Materials (used tea leaves, rice husk, inedible/discarded rice, grain corn, etc.)
2. Bioplastic Materials
   2-1. Biodegradable Plastics
     - PLA
     - PBAT
     - PBS
     - PHA
   2-2. Bio-based Plastics
     - Bio-Polyethylene (Bio-PE)
     - Bio-Polypropylene (Bio-PP)　
     - Bio-Polyethylene terephthalate (Bio-PET)
     - Bio-based polystyrene (bio-PS)
     - Bio-based engineering plastics (PC, PA, POM, etc.)
3. Sustainable Polypropylene (PP) and Sustainable Polyethylene (PE)
4. Environmentally Friendly Containers
   4-1. Paper Carton
   4-2. Aluminum (Aluminium) and Steel Cans
   4-3. Lightweight Plastics

III. Trends in Recycling-Related Markets

1. Film-to-Film Recycling (MLCC Mold Release Films, Label Liner)
2. Recycling of Carbon Fibers
   2-1. Trends in Recycling Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) Scrap and Waste Materials
   2-2. Trends in Developing Technologies and Applications for rCF Utilization
   2-3. Trends in rCF Intermediary Materials
3. PET Bottle Recycling
4. Container & Wrapping Recycling
   4-1. Paper Cartons, Paper Packs
   4-2. Paper Cups
   4-3. Aluminum (Aluminium) and Steel Cans