Neste and Mitsui develop biobased food packaging for CO-OP Japan

Daniela Castillo Monagas

Japanese Consumers Co-operative Union (JCCU) brand CO-OP has partnered with Neste, Mitsui Chemicals, and its subsidiary Prime Polymer to introduce more sustainable food packaging solutions. In the initial phase of collaboration, bio-based materials will replace fossil fuel materials in the production of the packaging for CO-OP’s seaweed snacks. The companies aim to incorporate bio-based materials into packaging for additional products in the future.

Neste’s renewable Neste RE™, made entirely from bio-based raw materials, is used as a feedstock for polymers. Mitsui Chemicals and Prime Polymer process this feedstock into renewable polypropylene under the brand name Prasus™, which is then transformed into food packaging for CO-OP. The packaging made with renewable materials offers the same quality and performance as traditional packaging, but with a lower carbon footprint and the replacement of fossil materials during production.

The collaboration’s first packaging made with renewable plastics via mass balancing has received the Japanese Eco Mark certification. Lilyana Budyanto, Head of Sustainable Partnerships APAC at Neste’s Renewable Polymers and Chemicals business unit, stated, “Change begins with small things. In this case, it’s slices of dried seaweed. However, the impact of renewable plastics packaging isn’t small at all. It’s a crucial contributor to the sustainability transformation of the plastics industry and reducing emissions along the value chain.”

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