Development of YUPO GREEN synthetic paper made from biomass plastic resin
Yupo Corporation (President: Hideyuki Fujiwara; Head Office: Tokyo, JAPAN) has successfully developed a YUPO synthetic paper whose base ingredient is a biomass plastic resin and plans to market it in stages from 2018, starting with commercial printing applications and ultimately developing it for label applications.
While YUPO synthetic paper was traditionally made mostly of polypropylene resin and inorganic filler, the newly-developed “YUPO GREEN,” achieved by substituting part of crude oil based resin to a plant-based biomass plastic resin, is a new environmentally-friendly product that contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions.
This biomass plastic resin is made from plants such as sugar cane which absorbs atmospheric CO2 in the course of the photosynthesis process carried by plants as part of their development cycle, and as a result, is considered as a carbon-neutral raw material when burned as a waste. Each 636×939 mm sheet of thick YUPO GREEN has an effect equivalent to switching off a fluorescent light for about one hour, while 250 sheets have an effect considered equal to saving 1,500 cc of gasoline.
YUPO synthetic paper was first developed in 1969 for the purpose of preserving forests and has been used up to the present day for a wide range of applications; however, in order to meet market needs and customers’ demand for products counteracting the effects of global warming, we have been promoting the development of ever more environmentally-conscious products which retain the performance quality of the original product.
As a leading company in synthetic paper, we have vigorously promoted the development and the commercialization of YUPO GREEN as an initiative consistent with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) advocated by the UN. Following development results, we plan to start selling YUPO GREEN from FY 2018 for commercial printing applications and to further develop it for various label applications, with the aim of selling 5,000 tons by 2022.