Circular Economy

• Promoting Resource Recycling

• Food waste reduction initiatives

• 3R as a unified group

• Recycling Station

• Water consumption across the entire group

• Initiatives to reduce water usage

• OA paper usage

We will formulate resource recycling targets according to the characteristics of each of our businesses, promote recycling and reuse within the Group, and work to reduce waste generation and improve our recycling rates. We will further promote a sustainable circular economy based on our resource recycling concept (UPCYCLING CIRCULAR) by collecting waste generated from business activities, recycling it using new technologies and external collaboration, and utilizing it within the Group. Specific initiatives include processing food waste generated by the Group through methane fermentation to produce electricity and fertilizer, as well as efforts to reuse used plastics within the Group through material and chemical recycling.
In addition to reusing materials used in stations and traincars as furniture and interior materials, we are expanding the application of materials, such as by reusing offcuts and waste materials generated from construction projects as fixtures in local public facilities and educational institutions. Not only do these initiatives help reduce waste and improve recycling rates, but they also foster collaboration with local communities and generate social value.

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J Bio Food Recycle Co., Ltd. was established through joint investment with JR EAST Environmental Access Co., Ltd. and the JFE Group, and has been operating a power generation business by converting food waste into biogas at its Yokohama plant since 2018. The recycling process involves accepting up to 80 tons of food waste per day from station buildings, inside stations, and other areas around the city, and generating electricity using the biogas generated through methane fermentation.

JR East Volume of Waste Generated, Amount Recycled, and Recycling Rate^*1

( ) indicates FY2024.3 Results

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JR East Group Companies’ Volume of Waste Generated, Amount Recycled, and Recycling Rate^*1

( ) indicates FY2024.3 Results

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Recycling includes thermal recycling* where general waste is treated at incineration plants and industrial waste is incinerated as intermediate treatment for heat recovery.

• *Thermal recycling: A recycling method that recovers waste heat from burning waste to produce steam and hot water to be used for power generation, hot water supply, and other uses.

• *1Waste includes salable waste.
• *2Corrected due to over- and under-reporting for FY2024.3.
• *3Other field offices: Technical centers, equipment maintenance centers, and other locations such as train crew offices.
• *4JR East construction projects: Waste generated by JR East construction projects but for which contractors legally become the waste-discharging entities is included in industrial waste.

To promote waste separation and resource recovery, recycling stations with more detailed sorting than conventional station trash bins were installed at five stations—Tokyo, Osaki, Ebisu, Ikebukuro, and Kawasaki—and we have been verifying the effectiveness together with our group company, JR East Environment Access Co., Ltd. Having recognized their effectiveness, including improvement in the sorting rate, we installed additional recycling stations at Yokohama Station followed by Noborito Station and Takanawa Gateway Station. We will continue to gradually install recycling stations at about 80 stations, taking into account usage at stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area and station stores frequently used by customers, to further promote resource recycling efforts within the Group.

As part of our initiative to realize a recycling-based society, in April 2025, we began full-scale operations of J CIRCULAR SYSTEM Kawasaki Super Sorting Center in Kawasaki City. With a daily processing capacity of 200 tons of used plastic, this facility is one of the largest in Japan and collects waste plastic from within and beyond the JR East Group. The facility’s advanced sorting line recovers waste as recycled material based on its characteristics. In addition, the chemical recycling raw material production line turns collected plastic into raw materials suitable for chemical recycling. In this way, we are helping to reduce waste and make effective use of resources, while contributing to building a carbon neutral society.

JR East stations and trains achieve a high recycling rate through meticulous waste sorting by both people and machines at the JR East Tokyo Resource Recycling Center (operated by JR East Environmental Access Co., Ltd.) and other facilities. We recycle magazines and newspapers into office paper, and we recycle all used tickets into toilet paper and other products.

Waste from Stations, Trains, General Rolling Stock Centers, and Construction Projects

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Double Recycling Loop: Changing Frontline Waste into Value

As a member of the JR East Group, I work on the resource recovery of food waste.
The goal of this initiative is to realize a double recycling loop that recycles food waste generated within the Group into electricity.
Our role was to build a collection and transportation system that allows processing services of J Bio Food Recycle (“J Bio”) to be delivered stably and at a fair price. Changes to the unloading destination created various challenges, including adjusting contracts with waste generators, promoting awareness of food recycling, and designing efficient routes.
Through persistent dialogue with all related parties while obtaining the cooperation of the JR East Group Marketing Headquarters, and by obtaining permits and establishing new facilities, we were finally able to build a stable operational system.
This framework enabled a double recycling loop under a resource recycling model, where JR East Cross Station Co., Ltd. uses electricity from biogas via East Japan Railway Trading Co., Ltd. to grow vegetables with fertilizer made from J Bio’s fermentation residue.
This double recycling loop does not only provide waste processing, but it challenges us to use resources for the future. Looking ahead, we plan to expand our efforts starting with a used plastics recycling business at J CIRCULAR SYSTEM, which began full-scale operations in April 2025, to help promote our resource recycling business concept (UPCYCLING CIRCULAR) across the Group.

Realizing a Double Recycling Loop

A Double Recycling Loop is realized by recycling waste into electricity and agriculture.

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To replace aging benches at Kobuchizawa Station in Yamanashi Prefecture, we created new benches using waste plastic and pomace (grape marc), a byproduct of winemaking for which the prefecture is known. These benches were installed after verifying their safety and durability. By reusing waste generated during the manufacturing of local specialty products, we are able to recover resources while creating station buildings that incorporate regional characteristics.

Large amounts of waste cedar boards from a roof improvement project at Tsubame-Sanjo Station in Niigata Prefecture were donated and sold to schools and local businesses, and reused for various applications, such as bench renovations at stations and offices. In addition to realizing recycling construction waste, we are contributing to the local community while reducing costs.

Led by East Japan Railway Trading Co., Ltd., we conduct demonstration testing in which plant-based used cooking oil disposed from facilities within the JR East Group is collected and reused as a biofuel alternative to diesel fuel. This biofuel is provided to railway cars such as track motor cars for snow removal (for training), thereby contributing to reduce CO2 emissions.
By expanding the use of biofuel to heavy machinery owned by JR East companies, the entire Group will contribute to building a recycling-based society and reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Of all the water that exists on Earth, only 0.01% is in a state that is suitable for human use, and we therefore recognize that water resources are extremely precious.
In addition to tap water, industrial water, and groundwater, we actively promote the use of gray water^*industrial water, and groundwater, we actively promote the use of gray water* in our business activities, and we reuse rainwater and hand-washing water for toilet flushing. Specifically, our rolling stock centers use industrial water for vehicle-body washing and our station offices and toilets use and discharge tap water, rainwater, groundwater, and gray water. In addition, we are asking our customers to conserve water and are working to reduce the usage of tap water. JR East appropriately manages water quality based on laws, ordinances, and agreements with local governments and works to conserve water resources.

• *1Gray Water: Use of water defined as between tap water and sewage. Such water is recycled and used for limited purposes.

• *2Water use comprises the total of tap water, industrial water, and groundwater consumption.

• JR EAST

  FY2023.3	FY2024.3	FY2025.3
  11.27 million m³ *3	10.47 million m³	10.9 million m³ ☆

• Group companies

  FY2023.3	FY2024.3	FY2025.3
  8.01 million m³ *3	8.5 million m³ ☆	8.76 million m³

• *3Correction due to omission of water diversion usage in FY2022

At the rolling stock center, industrial water is used for washing the car bodies, and tap water, rainwater, groundwater, and recycled water are used for drainage in station toilets and offices.
Additionally, we are also working to conserve water at stations and other facilities by conserving water during regular maintenance and cleaning, and checking for leaks in washrooms and toilets during our rounds.

Goals for creating a resource-circulating society by fiscal 2030

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Progress towards the goals is published in the integrated report.

Group Report (Integrated Report) | Corporate Site: JR EAST (jreast.co.jp)

• JR EAST

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  Item	FY2023.3	FY2024.3	FY2025.3
  Usage amount	736t	703t	597t
  Recycled paper	94％	96％	94％

• Group companies

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  Item	FY2023.3	FY2024.3	FY2025.3
  Usage amount	787t	655t	622t
  Recycled paper	85％	82％	86％

• JR EAST Group "Zero Carbon Challenge 2050"