TOKYO—June 3, 2026—NTT, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Akira Shimada; hereinafter "NTT") and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Executive Officer and President: Tetsuya Tanaka; hereinafter "Mitsubishi Materials") today announced the planned establishment of NTT Circurust, Inc. (hereinafter the "New Company"), a new venture aimed at expanding the use of recycled materials and advancing resource circulation by integrating the supply of recycled materials with the transmission of information regarding their origin, allocation, environmental impact, and other attributes (hereinafter "attribute information").

 

The New Company will manage the flow of materials from collection and resource recovery through the production and sale of recycled materials, focusing on end-of-life IT equipment and telecommunications infrastructure. In parallel, it will develop mechanisms to appropriately communicate attribute information associated with recycled materials throughout the supply chain.

 

Through these efforts, the New Company will promote greater adoption of recycled materials by manufacturers and other businesses, while also enabling organizations that generate end-of-life equipment to better understand and communicate how their discarded assets contribute to resource circulation and environmental sustainability. In doing so, the company will help accelerate the practical implementation of a sustainable circular economy.

 

Background and Objectives

End-of-life IT equipment and telecommunications infrastructure contain valuable metal resources, including copper, and have long been subject to collection and recycling efforts. However, across the various stages of collection, resource recovery, manufacturing, and distribution, the organization and sharing of attribute information related to recycled materials has not always been sufficient. As a result, manufacturers and other users of recycled materials often face challenges in accurately explaining the extent of recycled material usage and the sustainability characteristics of their products.

 

Organizations that generate end-of-life equipment also face difficulties in understanding how the materials recovered from their discarded assets are recycled and what environmental benefits are ultimately achieved through those processes.

 

In recent years, interest in resource circulation and reducing environmental impact has continued to grow, increasing the importance of recycled materials, particularly in the manufacturing sector. At the same time, as companies are increasingly expected to address sustainability across their entire supply chains, the need for mechanisms that enable the proper sharing and communication of attribute information associated with recycled materials has become more important than ever.

 

These trends are also being reinforced by public policy. In the Japanese government's Circular Economy Action Plan, released in April 2026, strengthening supply chains for recycled resources was identified as a key priority. The plan sets a target for approximately 30% of domestically produced copper by 2030 to be sourced from recycled resources, including E-Scrap^*1 and copper scrap. The plan also highlights the importance of creating demand and markets for recycled materials and enhancing information sharing between manufacturers and resource-circulation industries. In addition to securing both the quality and quantity of recycled materials, it calls for the development of mechanisms that encourage their broader utilization.

 

Against this backdrop, establishing a sustainable market for recycled materials requires not only a stable supply of such materials but also the ability to appropriately communicate their attribute information throughout the supply chain, enabling manufacturers and other users to explain their utilization with confidence. It is equally important to provide organizations that generate end-of-life equipment with greater visibility into how recovered resources are being used, thereby demonstrating the value of their participation in resource circulation initiatives.

 

To address these challenges, NTT and Mitsubishi Materials have agreed to establish the New Company, which will integrate the supply of recycled materials with the communication of their attribute information. By building a circular model that connects the stages from waste generation and resource recovery to the utilization of recycled materials, the New Company will contribute to the advancement and broader adoption of resource circulation throughout society.

 

Key Initiatives

The New Company will focus on the following two core initiatives:

 

(1) Providing a mechanism for communicating attribute information of recycled materials
The New Company will provide a mechanism for appropriately communicating attribute information associated with recycled materials throughout the supply chain, extending to end-product manufacturers.

 

Over time, this mechanism will be developed into a common platform that can be utilized across industries, including for recycled materials supplied by other companies. This will help create an environment in which manufacturers and other businesses can more easily explain their use of recycled materials and related sustainability efforts.

 

The mechanism will also enable feedback to organizations that generate end-of-life equipment regarding how their discarded products have been recycled and utilized as recycled materials. By providing visibility into these environmental contributions, the New Company aims to demonstrate the value of participating in resource circulation initiatives and encourage broader engagement in circular economy activities.

 

(2) Production and sales of recycled materials
The New Company will collect end-of-life IT equipment and telecommunications infrastructure, recover resources from these materials, and manufacture and sell recycled materials derived from them. The business will initially focus on metal resources recovered from IT equipment and telecommunications infrastructure.

 

Through these initiatives, the New Company will serve as a connector among the various stakeholders involved in resource circulation, including organizations that generate end-of-life equipment, recyclers, and product manufacturers.

 

Roles of Each Company

NTT
Leveraging its expertise as a generator of end-of-life IT equipment and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as the NTT Group's experience in data-sharing and traceability technologies and the development and operation of cross-industry platforms, NTT will contribute to the business design of the New Company and the development of mechanisms for organizing and communicating attribute information related to recycled materials.

 

Mitsubishi Materials
Mitsubishi Materials possesses one of the world's largest E-Scrap processing capacities and has established integrated capabilities spanning collection, smelting, and material manufacturing as a global non-ferrous metals producer. Drawing on the technologies and processing capabilities it has developed through resource-circulation businesses based on urban mining, Mitsubishi Materials will be responsible for resource recovery and the production and supply of recycled materials within the New Company. In addition, by leveraging data and expertise related to recycled materials throughout the circular value chain, the company will contribute to ensuring information reliability and strengthening the overall business.

Future Plans

The New Company will initially focus on metal resources recovered from end-of-life IT equipment and telecommunications infrastructure, establishing a circular model that integrates collection, resource recovery, recycled material production and supply, and the communication of associated attribute information.

 

Going forward, the company will expand collaboration with organizations that generate end-of-life equipment, recyclers, product manufacturers, and other stakeholders to develop practical initiatives and use cases that promote the utilization of recycled materials.

 

The information-sharing platform is also expected to evolve over time, with the potential to support additional material categories beyond metals and serve as a foundational platform for resource circulation across a broader range of manufacturing industries.

 

By connecting the flow of materials with the flow of information, the New Company aims to enhance the visibility of resource circulation and help create a market in which recycled materials are recognized, valued, and actively chosen.

 

Endorsements

Shigeru Tokuda, Corporate Vice President, Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
Under our Group's Environmental Policy and Environmental Vision 2050, we are committed to contributing to a sustainable society across the entire value chain through the provision of environmentally conscious products and services and the promotion of circular production activities. As part of these efforts, we have been advancing the use of recycled materials, including recycled metals.

 

We view the establishment of this new company as a significant initiative that will promote information sharing among stakeholders through the communication of attribute information associated with recycled materials, thereby making the value and significance of recycled material utilization more visible and meaningful.

 

We hope that this initiative will further expand the use of recycled materials and enable efforts related to recycled material utilization and resource circulation to be more appropriately understood and evaluated throughout the supply chain.

 

Jun Okamura, President and Representative Director, Minami Metal Co., Ltd.
For many years, we have been engaged in the collection and recycling of end-of-life equipment and have worked firsthand to address the various challenges associated with resource circulation.

 

We believe the establishment of this new company is highly significant because it integrates the entire process, from collection and resource recovery to the utilization of recycled materials and the communication of their attribute information.

 

As a company engaged in recycling, we hope that not only the value of recycled materials created through collection and resource recovery, but also the importance of proper processing practices and sustainable initiatives undertaken at recycling sites, will be appropriately shared and recognized throughout the supply chain.

 

We also expect this initiative to further strengthen collaboration among companies involved in resource circulation, expand the use of recycled materials, and increase recognition of the role and value of the recycling industry within society.

 

As a recycling partner, we will continue to contribute to the realization of a sustainable circular economy by leveraging the expertise and experience we have cultivated in the field.

 

*1 E-Scrap is a collective term for discarded circuit boards of electronic devices that contain high concentrations of valuable metals.

*2 The establishment of the New Company is subject to obtaining the necessary approvals and clearances from the relevant regulatory authorities. The parties will proceed with the required procedures accordingly.

 

About NTT

NTT is a leading global technology innovator, providing a broad range of services to both consumers and businesses. As a mobile operator and provider of infrastructure, networks, and services, NTT is dedicated to promoting a sustainable future through cutting-edge innovations. Our portfolio includes business consulting, AI-powered solutions, application services, global networks, cybersecurity, data center and edge computing, all supported by our deep global industry expertise. Generating over $90 billion in revenue and employing 340,000 professionals, we allocate 30% of our annual profits to fundamental research and development. With operations spanning more than 70 countries and regions, our clients include over 75% of Fortune Global 100 companies, alongside thousands of enterprises, government organizations, and millions of consumers.

 

About Mitsubishi Materials Corporation

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation is a leading Japanese materials manufacturer engaged in metals, recycling, advanced products, electronic materials, and metalworking solutions. Through its integrated capabilities in metal recovery, smelting, and materials production, the company promotes the effective use and circulation of resources and contributes to the realization of a sustainable society.

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