Eco's Co and 17 other supermarket operators in the Kanto region are aiming to establish what would be one of the largest food recycling systems in Japan. The 18 firms, mainly midsize and smaller players in the domestic supermarket industry, are already cooperating in the recycling of unsold foods. They plan to call on more supermarket operators, including those in regions other than Kanto, to join the alliance, hoping to increase the number of participating companies to about 100 in three years. The move comes as the nation's revised food recycling law, which took effect last December, sets numerical targets food-related companies should attain in fiscal 2012. Specifically, food retailers are required to recycle 45% of unsold foods, while the target stands at 70% for wholesalers and 85% for food makers. The supermarket operators are promoting their food recycling activities through the Organization for Recycling of Organic Resources, a foundation under the supervision of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. The organization also has food wholesalers, recycling companies and universities as its members. As the first step in their efforts to expand the food recycling network, the 18 firms will ask more supermarket operators in the Kanto region, including Tokyo, to take part in their program that calls for recycling vegetables and ready-cooked foods past their use-by dates into fertilizers and livestock feed. Rice, pork and other foods are produced using the fertilizers and feed, and sold through the companies' retail outlets. In fiscal 2007, that ends on March 31, the 18 supermarket operators' sales of rice and pork produced under the system are expected to total about 200 tons and 10 tons, respectively. They hope to increase the annual sales volume to 300 tons for rice and 20-30 tons for pork at an early time. Since October 2002, Eco's has produced four food items, including "Koshihikari' brand rice, lettuce and pork, using fertilizers and feed made from old foods, in a tie-up with agricultural cooperatives in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo. The company sold them at its stores in Tokyo and eight other prefectures. Among Japanese retailers, convenience store operator Seven-Eleven Japan Co., and supermarket operators Uny Co and Kasumi Co are promoting food recycling on their own.