Turning opened trading card packs into a resource!
In 2024, Bandai launched a project to recycle the opened card packs of trading card games. Card packs that were once thrown away are now being recycled into card cases.
Must trading card packs really be thrown out after opening?
As environmental pollution from plastic waste grows more serious, governments and companies are undertaking various activities to help create a recycling-oriented society. In recent years, more and more consumers expect to have access to eco-friendly products and services. In response, Bandai has also explored what it can do and taken action. As part of this, we launched the Opened-Card-Pack Recycling Project. Trading card packs are usually thrown away after opening, as their purpose was fulfilled. This is what caught our attention.
Recycling opened card packs into new card cases, an essential item for trading card fans
We began collecting opened card packs in 2024. Collection boxes have been set up at official ONE PIECE Card Game shops and event venues nationwide. The collected card packs are crushed, recycled, and molded into recycled card cases. The role of card packs is to protect the valuable cards inside and now they continue to fulfill this same role even after being recycled into card cases.
Why a card case? Because it’s an essential item for trading card games. We hope that by using the recycled card cases, fans will realize the importance of recycling and become more aware of environmental issues. At the Tokyo Toy Show in 2024, we handed out recycled card cases to fans to raise awareness of the project.
Recycled card cases are made from 45% recycled plastic, including plastic from collected card packs. They have been Eco Mark-certified by the Japan Environment Association while receiving Bandai’s own Sustainable Product Certification Mark.
Video about the Opened-Card-Pack Recycling Project
Making card pack collection the new norm to spread recycling
The Opened-Card-Pack Recycling Project continues to collect card packs. We are also exploring ways to recycle these card packs into other products besides card boxes. While maintaining an opened-card-pack collection system, we will expand our recycling projects to raise awareness of such activities among even more people.