Ten Major 2024 Packaging Topics in Japan
Looking back on Japan during 2024, stock prices exceeded the bubble-economy high attained 34 years ago, and the Japanese economy regained its momentum. Goods and services prices remained inflated, with rice prices approximately double those of 2023. In the packaging topics, new packaging technology being aggressively promoted to address the 2024 transportation issues was easily noticeable.
1. Japanese companies seek to recycle industrial resources through horizontal recycling, peeling, separating and other technologies
Amid the social tendency toward resource recycling, six Japanese companies including toiletry product manufacturers formed an alliance and were successful in horizontal recycling of used refill packs of liquid detergent. Dai Nippon Printing developed trays with easily peelable paper and established a resource recycling system for separating paper and plastic films and providing them as new materials. Gunze Limited developed technology for separating layers of heterogeneous films and organized a collection and reuse system for resin. Japanese companies continued aggressive resource recycling initiatives.
2. Year 2024 transportation sector issues
The revised Public Notice of amended work regulation standards applicable to truck drivers took effect in April 2024, and the maximum limit of 960 overtime hours annually became effective. These shorter legally permitted work hours will cause a serious shortage of transportation capacity. For 2030, a 34.1 percent shortfall of transportation ability was forecast. The packaging business should urgently address improving workers' labor environment and digital transformation (DX). A major beverage manufacturer modified the one liter plastic bottle to a square bottle, which successfully improved transportation efficiency per pallet for truck transportation by approximately 10 percent. This result drew keen attention as a successful practice for cost reduction and efficiency improvement while accommodating work-hour limitation-related issues.
3. Progress in cross-sectional recycling cooperation among businesses and local governments, likely to spread to similar activities
As part of the Japan Clean Ocean Material Alliance (CLOMA) initiatives, two Japanese mayonnaise manufacturers began a resource recycling project. Other CLOMA member companies and local governments joined the project, creating multidisciplinary collaboration. The project consisted of collecting cleaned and dried mayonnaise bottles at sales outlets for technical verification on the feasibility of horizontal recycling. The two mayonnaise companies expect further changes in public awareness of recycling and project expansion to other business sectors.
4. Packaging Regulations Overseas
In 2024, international packaging regulations progressed. The European Council adopted the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in December 2024. The PPWR requires reducing packaging waste and promoting packaging material recycling. In the US, laws concerning extended producer responsibility (EPR) were enacted in some states, and deliberation continued in other states. At the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) discussions progressed for the conclusion of the international treaty to address marine plastics pollution. In response to these international changes, the government of Japan, businesses and related organizations had to take comprehensive measures.
5. Remarkable progress on commercial use of plant-derived plastics
Drink containers made of aluminum-attached paper coated with sugarcane-derived polyethylene (PE) were used for actual products for the first time in Japan. Paper containers coated with PE from sugarcane were certified by Carbon Trust, an international certification body, since the new product increased the ratio of recyclable resources and reduced CO2 emissions. The certification label on the container was also the first in Japan. A team of researchers at the University of Copenhagen used barley starch and invented Barley Plastic, a thoroughly biodegradable resin. Application to food packaging was highly expected. Barley Plastic is naturally decomposed by microorganisms and causes no environmental pollution. It can also be used for making trays, bottles and bags.
6. Partial amendment of food labeling rules for greater health hazard prevention
The Consumer Affairs Agency of the Cabinet Office partially amended the Food Labelling Standards on August 23, 2024. To enhance the credibility of the Foods with Functionality Claims, the amended Standards stipulate businesses' obligation to report new findings, collect information on health problems, comply with the designated production and quality control procedures, and carefully check label indications. The amended Standards became effective on September 1, 2024, but the transitional measures for some amended labeling requirements remain valid until August 31, 2026.
7. Effective moisture-proof sheet developed for medicine packaging
A new moisture-proof sheet was jointly developed to be used as Press Through Pack (PTP) film for pharmaceutical product packaging. Compared to conventional moisture-proof sheets, the resin use was approximately 22 percent less and the new product reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 24 percent. This new compound product of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and fluorine-contained resin film is effectively waterproof, transparent and easy to form by molding. Removing the tablets became easier; the new product was praised as a medicine package with reduced environmental burden and enhanced convenience.
8. New method developed for manufacturing PET without using rare metals
A new polymerization technique for making polyesters without using metallic catalysts was developed. Polyesters are most popularly represented by polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the best-known example, and are usually made with metallic catalysts such as antimony (Sb), germanium (Ge), aluminum (Al) and titanium (Ti). Instead, the invented polymerization method used acid organic compounds. Since the new technique did not use rare metal catalysts like antimony or germanium, resources are better protected and production costs reduced. The color tone of the new product was the same as the former polyester. The new polyesters were totally transparent without any fog due to metal contents, and during melt processing the molecular weight remained largely unchanged from the previous metal-catalyst polyester.
9. Great popularity in using cushioning materials made from cardboard paper
Affected by the plastic-free drive, polystyrene-foam cushioning materials being switched over to cardboard paper-made ones was clearly noted. The switch over was directly caused by technically designed novel cushioning structure and stable cardboard quality. Other important characteristics of cardboard paper included ease of recycling and lower environmental impact. Measures for possible repeated shocks during transportation were still being studied, focusing on structural designing of cushioning materials, especially stabilizing the quality of formed corrugation and other structures. These new measures will become reality soon.
10. Tokyo Pack 2024 ended with great success
The Japan Packaging Institute held the Tokyo Pack 2024 exhibition from Wednesday to Friday, October 23 to 25 at East Exhibition Halls No. 1 to 6 in Tokyo Big Sight. The exhibition slogan was 'Tokyo Pack Inspires the Packaging World-A Gateway to Innovation.' The event ended with great success with 725 participating entities and a total of 2,313 booths. The Institute of Packaging Professionals (IPP) was one exhibitor. The number of Tokyo Pack visitors was 70,712, with 6,045 from abroad. In the exhibition, the Japan Good Packaging Pavilion 2024 showcased the best of packaging innovation and technology in Japan. A special exhibit displayed more than 100 prize winning packages from 2024's Japan Good Packaging Contest and the Japan Star 2024 Awards winning works. The 2024 Kinoshita Prize awarded packaging was also exhibited.