Bandai Namco launches project to recycle plastic waste from Gundam models

Toymaker Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. recently launched a project to recycle throwaway plastic parts from its model kits based on the sci-fi animation series "Mobile Suit Gundam" as part of its sustainability effort. Under the project that started on April 1, the Tokyo-based entertainment firm has asked fans to deposit the plastic frame sections usually discarded after assembling the models at about 190 collection points across the nation at model shops and at Bandai Namco-run arcades. The company plans to reuse the plastic waste for making plastic products, including Gundam models, as well as for thermal power generation. The Gundam model kits, known as "Gunpla," a portmanteau term combining "Gundam" and "plastic," have been a hit product, with cumulative sales topping 700 million sets globally as of March this year. Although overseas markets have accounted for about half of sales of the models featuring Gundam robots and their armor in recent years, Bandai Namco said it currently does not plan to set up collection sites overseas for recycling. The company operates Gunpla shops in South Korea, China and Taiwan.