As I worked my way through the many exhibitor booths at Tokyo Pack in late October, it soon became apparent that in the continuous green fight between paper and plastics, paper appears to be tipping the balance in Japan.
Take the packaging innovations that won at this year’s Japan Packaging Contest, for instance. Many of the winners proudly on display at Tokyo Pack claimed that they were ‘100 per cent plastic-free’, and that they were high-quality pulp-moulded containers strong enough to replace plastics equivalents, and/or were easy to recycle.
The winner of the President of Japan Packaging Institute Award – an honour presented by the country’s influential packaging association – was a pulp-moulded cosmetics gift box jointly developed by local beverage giant Kirin Holdings Company and cosmetics and dietary supplements maker Fancl Corporation, using unbrewed malt powder, a by-product of beer manufacturing. Fancl’s gift box can hold four different types of cosmetics containers, allowing consumers to see and feel the paper-based material, which the company says helps reinforce its care towards environmental protection.
Another pulp-moulded container, which won the Japan Packaging Contest, Packaging Idea Award, is a ball-shaped pulp-moulded toy capsule manufactured by Dynapac using pulp fibre extracted from pruned tress in Fukushima prefecture. It was developed as an alternative to the original plastics capsule packaging. This toy capsule case, known as Gashapon, is extremely popular both in Japan where it originated and around the world, and it is dispensed from dial-based vending machines. The pulp-moulded round capsule encases the toy, allowing it to pass smoothly through the Gashapon machine without damaging the item inside. After use, the capsules can be collected as used paper for recycling.
A carton developed by Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) to package 450g of canola oil from brand owner Nisshin OilliO Group was found to reduce plastics usage by 55 per cent, compared with the brand’s original 400g PET bottle. Incorporating biomass materials in the cap and inks, the Food Packaging Award winner also features an ‘L-slit’ window along one side of the paper carton that allows consumers to see how much of the oil content remains.
Perhaps the most interesting winner of the Japan Packaging Contest was the Kami-air design window by Japan Pulp & Paper, which uses paper developed by Oji Paper Co that offers transparency without being too thin. This same material was used in the transparent window of a package for fountain pens produced by The Sailor Pen Company.
Nippon Paper Industries also showcased its Lamina heat seal paper, which has a water-based heat seal coating layer and does not require lamination, which shortens the production process.
“Demand for reusable and biodegradable materials is increasing,” explained a Nippon Paper spokesman. “So, we developed Lamina for the packaging of cosmetics, daily miscellaneous items, and secondary food packaging.”
Plastics still on show
While the paper material packaging on exhibit at Tokyo Pack was plentiful, plastics hadn’t been totally sidelined.
The Complex bottle is DNP’s alternative to glass bottles, particularly for high-end products. This composite PET bottle was developed by covering a preform material used to make PET bottles with a functional film, and moulding it into an integrated product. The functional film covers the bottom of the bottle, giving it oxygen and water vapour barrier properties and light-blocking properties.
Should there be any minute irregularities engraved into the blow moulding die, they can be transferred during moulding, allowing for delicate designs to be expressed. After use, the outer film can be easily peeled off and the bottle separated and recycled as a transparent PET bottle.
“As the global e-commerce market grows, the Complex bottle is an alternative to glass as it is less likely to break and is lighter, which improves transportation efficiency and makes it easier for consumers to handle,” explained a DNP spokesperson. “It can be used for a variety of contents, including food products such as alcohol and seasonings, and cosmetics and toiletries.”
Another eye-catching innovation at the exhibition was Eco Marine Tac by Oji Tac, which consists of a biomass plastics material for the label and a special agent that does not hinder the degradation of the surface material. In addition to having superior water resistance compared with conventional paper label material, Eco Marine Tac can be printed at the same quality levels as PET and OPP labels.
In a marine degradation test, a 100x100mm Eco Marine label was tested in simulated seawater at a temperature of 30 deg C for six months, and the size was reduced by 85 per cent. In a soil degradation test, a 100x100mm Eco Marine label was buried in humus soil, and after six months, it was found to have decomposed into pieces and the area was reduced by about half.
Samples of an rBOPP film, meanwhile, were on display for the first time as the result of a partnership between Toppan Holdings, RM Tohcello Co and Mitsui Chemicals.
Printed film waste generated by Toppan is collected and taken to Mitsui Chemicals’ Nagoya Works, where the ink is removed and the waste is turned into pellets. These pellets are then converted by RM Tohcello into film that is suitable for mass production processes such as printing, laminating, and pouch forming, with physical properties including seal strength and tear resistance.
According to the partners, the project started following the release of Japan’s Resource Circulation Strategy for Plastics, which has stated, among other things, that by 2030, 60 per cent of plastics containers and packaging should be reused or recycled, and that the recycling of plastics resources should be doubled.
In May 2022, Mitsui Chemicals launched RePlayer (Renewable Plastics Layer System), an initiative that aims to recover film waste from flexible packaging converters, remove any ink from it, pelletise the remaining material and turn those pellets into new flexible packaging film. Later, in December 2022, Toppan, RM Tohcello and Mitsui Chemicals began discussing the basis of a joint pilot testing project. Fully-fledged joint pilot testing started at the beginning of 2023.
Plastics, or paper?
While plastics packaging is still prevalent in Japan, particularly in sectors like bottled drinks and packaged food, paper packaging is becoming increasingly important.
Japan has one of the most advanced recycling systems in the world, and paper is easy to recycle. This has contributed to a preference for paper in certain product categories, particularly where the waste is likely to be recycled. On the other hand, while plastics can also be recycled in Japan, it is more complex and often faces challenges in the recycling process.
Additionally, culturally, Japanese consumers tend to have a more favourable opinion of paper, as it is often perceived as more environmentally friendly due to its biodegradability and renewability.
So, while paper packaging might not surpass plastics in importance across all sectors, it is certainly gaining momentum. The separation and recyclability of plastics packaging waste therefore needs to improve drastically, and it needs to happen fairly soon.
By Trina Tan
