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## Overview Japan has launched a national effort to collect used cooking oil from households as feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), framed as a response to aviation fuel supply pressures (SCMP, June 2026). ## Program Details - **Household Participation**: Japanese homemakers are collecting and donating used cooking oil—approximately 40 litres per active participant annually—to designated supermarket collection points (SCMP, June 2026). - **Collection Network**: Roughly 300 supermarkets serve as collection points in the described program (SCMP, June 2026). - **Scale Challenge**: Participants acknowledge the "tremendous amount" of oil required to power commercial aviation (SCMP, June 2026). ## Strategic Context The program reflects Japan's vulnerability to aviation fuel supply disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz crisis and broader Middle East energy instability. SAF produced from used cooking oil (UCO-SAF) is a commercially established pathway under ICAO's CORSIA carbon offsetting scheme. ## Why This Matters - **Energy Security**: Japan imports approximately 90% of its energy; SAF from domestic waste streams reduces import dependency. - **Regulatory Trajectory**: Japan's SAF mandates are expected to tighten through the late 2020s, making feedstock sourcing a competitive issue for airlines and fuel producers. - **Investment Signals**: The program signals government support for UCO collection infrastructure—relevant for waste management, logistics, and biofuel investment. - **Aviation Industry**: Japanese carriers (ANA, JAL) face SAF blending targets under domestic and international frameworks. ## Connections Relates to Asia-Pacific aviation fuel crisis, Strait of Hormuz energy disruption narratives, and Japan's broader energy transition strategy.