Path to Become a Paradigm Changer from Within
Accelerating the Social Implementation of KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet to Realize a Sustainable Society
We apply KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet (“Green Planet”), which is 100% plant-based and biodegradable in the sea, soil, and other natural environments, to daily life, leading to innovation in lifestyles and the environment to help communities achieve sustainability.
Joint Projects for Further Value Provision Requires by Society
With its superior biodegradability under a wide range of environments, our 100% plant-based Green Planet has obtained the “OK Biodegradable MARINE” certificate for some grades. Contributing to reducing marine pollution caused by microplastics, it is expected to be a solution for global plastic pollution and environmental issues.
Under partnership with Shiseido Company Ltd., whose concept of “A Kiss to the sea” for Sustainable Beauty Actions (SBAS) through the SHISEIDO brand matches Green Planet’s marine biodegradability, we developed cosmetic containers made from Green Planet for the first time in the world and sold them at the SHISEIDO GLOBAL FLAGSHIPSTORE in Ginza, Tokyo, in November 2020.
Green Planet has also been adopted in 6 mm straws for Seven Cafés at about 10,000 stores in Japan of SEVEN-ELEVEN JAPAN Co., Ltd. In June 2020, it was adopted in 8 mm straws for its new lineup “CAFÉ LATTE SWEETS” sold throughout Japan.
Outside Japan, Green Planet has been adopted for wide-ranging applications, including fruit and vegetable bags, garbage bags, nursery pots, and coffee capsules. We are also considering its uses in cutlery, shopping bags, cup lids, and paper coating materials with many global brand holders.
Based on our mission “Kaneka thinks ‘Wellness First’”, we will continue to offer value to the world as a solution provider.
AquaGel Lip Palette
(Courtesy of the SHISEIDO brand, Shiseido Company Ltd.)
Seven Café's ”CAFÉ LATTE SWEETS”
Road Map to Develop and Disseminate Green Planet Products and a Plan to Increase Production Capacity
Toward the Further Expansion of Social and Economic Value
– Joining a Demonstration Project to Establish a Resource Recycling System
Since plant oils are used as ingredients for Green Planet, we have considered how to use waste cooking oil. Since 2019, we have jointly implemented the Life Cycle Demonstration Project for PHA-polymers, adopted by the Ministry of the Environment, with the Advanced Science, Technology & Management Research Institute of KYOTO, the applicant of the project. The project consists of three parts:
- Producing Green Planet from waste cooking oil and renewable resources
- Using Green Planet to produce garbage bags and plastic alternative products and using them for biogasification
- Demonstrating the effects of environmental impact reduction in the life cycle of PHA-polymers and assessing costs.
We aim to establish a new recycling-oriented waste treatment system to realize a decarbonized and recycling-oriented society and address marine plastic pollution.
We are mainly involved in ① producing Green Planet using waste cooking oil from businesses and households, which is used as biomass feedstock, and ② producing garbage bags using Green Planet made from waste cooking oil toward their use at biogas plants.
We have mostly established technology that uses waste cooking oil from businesses as biomass feedstock and have confirmed that Green Planet is biodegradable in the biogasification process. In 2021, we will work to expand technology that uses waste cooking oil from various sources and to mass-produce garbage bags. Through the project, we actively propose the use of garbage bags made from Green Planet to local governments and businesses that plan to use food waste biogas facilities and that work on energy recovery and recycling through biogasification from food waste.
Life Cycle Demonstration Project for PHA-polymers
(Source: March 2020; Advanced Science, Technology & Management Research Institute of KYOTO)
(Note) We changed our product registered trademark from “KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer PHBH” to “KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet” in February 2021.
