A panel of experts set up by the industry ministry has set a goal of using 50,000 metric tons of discarded clothing to produce recycled fiber in fiscal 2030.
The move is part of efforts to address the situation in which a large amount of clothing is being thrown away as a result of massive production amid the spread of fast fashion.
A survey by the Environment Ministry shows that supplies of new clothing in Japan totaled 798,000 metric tons in 2022. Around 60%, or 485,000 metric tons, of such clothing is expected to be discarded without being reused.
About 40% of local governments on a population basis do not collect clothing, mainly due to the absence of companies that take in secondhand products.
Another major reason behind the massive amount of clothes being thrown away is the difficulty in recycling items that use several different materials.
In light of the situation, the government plans to increase the number of local governments working on gathering preowned clothing, including by offering information on companies that are in the recycling business.
The central government will also offer support for efforts to establish a technology that will break down an item of clothing into each individual material.
The expert panel also announced a goal of reducing the amount of clothes thrown out by households by 25% in fiscal 2030 from levels in fiscal 2020.
The European Union has a goal of making all textile products sold within the region recyclable and made of recycled fibers to a large extent by 2030.
"If Japanese companies can't accommodate the regulations, they may be shut out of the market," an industry ministry official said.
The government hopes that the goals set by the expert panels will help promote industry-wide efforts on resources recycling.