Japan Partnership for Circular Economy

Japan Partnership for Circular Economy

casestudy

Development of plant-derived foam sheet food containers

[Company / organization] Iwatani CorporationRICOH Company, Ltd.

Members, their roles, and points of cooperation

Consideration of using polylactic acid foam sheet developed by Ricoh for food containers.

Start time (planned), etc.

Mass production is scheduled to start in October 2021.

Explanation of technology and business model

Approximately 170,000 tons of polystyrene foam sheet, which is a petroleum-derived material, is used in food containers annually in Japan.

We will realize a food container made of foamed sheet made of plant-derived material and promote the replacement from foamed styrene container.

Through this, we aim to contribute to the reduction of petroleum-derived materials, the spread of carbon-neutral materials, and the construction of a sound-cycle society.

Achievements and goals

Currently, prototypes and improvements are steadily progressing, and we aim for reliable completion and expansion of adoption.

Reference URL

Ricoh "PL Air":

https://industry.ricoh.com/plair