Implementing Copper Cables with Environmental Value from Lower-GHG Copper Ore in a Logistics Facility - Launched a demonstration test applying the mass balance credit model throughout the value chain -

TOKYO, July 22, 2026—NTT Circurust, Inc. (“NTT Circurust”), BHP, FCM Corporation (“FCM”), Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (“MMC”), NTT DATA Japan Corporation (“NTT DATA Japan”), Sambo Metals Corporation (“Sambo Metals”), SENSHU ELECTRIC CO., LTD. (“SENSHU ELECTRIC”), and Yasaka Electric Wire Co., Ltd. (“Yasaka Electric Wire”) aspire to build a consistent value chain from raw material procurement through product use. They have launched a demonstration test to show how the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission profile of copper cables can be traced using the mass balance credit model(*1), helping to support broader efforts toward a more sustainable society.

In recent years, in order to realize a decarbonized society, there has been a need to reduce GHG emissions throughout the value chain, from resource extraction to product manufacturing, use, and disposal. In the copper sector, while efforts to reduce GHG emissions in the process of producing ore in mines are progressing, it is difficult to properly communicate these lower GHG emissions attributes and reflect them in the products that end users receive due to the involvement of multiple processes and organizations throughout the value chain.

Therefore, in this demonstration, MMC will first smelt copper concentrate(*2) produced at the BHP-operated Escondida Copper Mine in Chile—where operational GHG emissions have been reduced by sourcing 100% of purchased electricity from renewable energy—and process it into wire rod. FCM Corporation and Yasaka Electric Wire will then process wire rod sold by Sambo Metals into copper cables, which will be implemented at the logistics facility of Amazon Japan G.K. through SENSHU ELECTRIC. The environmental attributes will be managed in accordance with the “Guidelines of Mass Balance Credit Model for Copper Products”(*3), and NTT Circurust, and NTT DATA Japan will verify the effectiveness of information-transferring processes intended to ensure traceability and transparency. Through this demonstration test, the companies aim to clarify issues and identify next steps toward widespread adoption of reliable value chains for copper cables made from lower-GHG-emissions copper ore, contributing to a more sustainable society.

The image of this demonstration test is as follows:

Through this demonstration trial, NTT Circurust will work to ensure the traceability of environmental value information exchanged across the value chain and establish a reliable process for sharing such information. In collaboration with participating companies, NTT Circurust will assess the effectiveness of using the application to manage and communicate environmental value information, thereby helping to create a framework for the broader adoption of environmentally responsible products in society.

(*1) A mass balance model that uses a method of issuing credits for specific characteristics possessed by raw materials and attributing the issued credits to products or parts of products. A mass balance model is one of the five Chain of Custody models defined in ISO 22095:2020, under which raw materials or products with specific characteristics are mixed with raw materials or products without those characteristics in accordance with defined criteria. Chain of Custody refers to the process by which inputs and outputs, as well as related information, are transferred, monitored, and controlled as they pass through each stage of the relevant value chain.

(*2) A raw material produced by crushing and processing copper ore to increase its copper content.

(*3) A guideline that clarifies the rules for applying the mass balance credit model to copper products. This guideline was formulated by MMC and has been confirmed by a third party to comply with ISO 22095 and ISO 22095-2, which was issued in January 2026.

[Related Release]

April 27, 2026　Establishment of the “Guideline of Mass Balance Credit Model for Copper Products” by MMC

URL: https://www.mmc.co.jp/corporate/en/news/2026/news20260427.html

About NTT Circurust

NTT Circurust is dedicated to expanding the use of recycled materials and promoting a circular economy. It provides a platform that enables the sharing of information on recycled materials, including their origin, allocation, characteristics, and environmental impact, across the supply chain, and collects and recycles end-of-life IT equipment and telecommunications equipment to produce and sell recycled materials, connecting the flow of information with the flow of materials. Supported by the NTT Group's expertise in data sharing, traceability technologies, and cross-industry platforms, together with Mitsubishi Materials' expertise in resource recycling, NTT Circurust works with stakeholders across the resource circulation value chain to help create a market where recycled materials are properly valued and widely adopted.

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