Bioplastic from plant waste
Welcome to the SDGs in the News Podcast. This is Susan Yoshimura, Managing Editor of Japan 2 Earth,
coming to you from Tokyo. Today, we bring you another English article on Japan and the SDGs.
You can find the full text on our website. Just click the link in the episode notes. Have a listen.
Bioplastic that makes better use of plant waste grows in popularity.
A startup developed a new bioplastic made from underutilized components of plant and wood waste,
with a carbon footprint smaller than conventional plastic. A startup has successfully developed a
bioplastic by extracting components from underused biomass like wood waste that have been difficult
to utilize to date. The bioplastic has lower CO2 emissions compared to plastics derived from
petroleum. It can also be made biodegradable and ultimately broken down into CO2 and water
by microorganisms. Several major companies have adopted the bioplastic for their products.
Work is underway to develop new applications for the material.
The startup is Business Innovation Partners, based in Kawasaki. A consulting company,
the startup supports the midstream sector. This includes the dye and mold industry which
is essential for processing materials and the raw materials that are processed using dyes.
The company started developing bioplastics based on the belief that it could support
the industry by creating new materials upstream, that would be in demand midstream.
It chose to focus on hemicellulose as a component. The startup embarked on the development of the
new material when an experienced technician, who had researched hemicellulose for many years,
joined the firm as a mid-career recruit. Trees and other plants are comprised of
40-50% cellulose and 20-30% hemicellulose. Cellulose, the main component of pulp,
is widely utilized. But hemicellulose, which is difficult to extract and process,
The Emergence of Hemix Bioplastic
has mostly been burned or discarded unused. Business Innovation Partners found the optimum
conditions for extracting hemicellulose by applying heat and pressure to plants and trees.
The extracted hemicellulose is chemically treated with natural additives, forming a bioplastic.
The company sells the product under the name Hemix. It can be manufactured to be transparent,
heat-resistant, and durable. Major corporations have begun adopting the new bioplastic.
In March 2021, Tokyo-based Junior East Startup Company, Limited, a subsidiary of Junior East
that collaborates with startups, developed a tumbler using hemicellulose. The hemicellulose
was extracted from wood waste from thinning woods along railways in Fukushima Prefecture.
The tumbler was sold on a limited basis. Cosmetics and health food manufacturer
Fonkel has adopted a packaging material made from sheets of hemicellulose extracted from
barley dregs generated during beer production. Fonkel will first employ the bioplastic as a
protective material for a new foundation product to be launched in March 2023.
It is considering using the sheets as packaging material for other products as well.
The challenge in promoting the use of Hemix is cost. Pellets of petroleum-derived polypropylene
and ABS resin generally cost around 200 yen JPY 300 per kilogram. Hemix is several times more
costly at around 1000 Japanese yen per kilogram. But the bioplastic has other advantages. In
addition to reducing CO2 emissions, it also reduces disposal costs if food residue is used
as raw material. The company intends to lower total cost. For instance, it plans to collaborate
with a mold manufacturer to develop an efficient process for manufacturing products.
Jin Nasukawa, CEO of Business Innovation Partners, explained. Hemix can be developed to meet the
Introduction to Hemix
required applications. We are receiving development requests from manufacturers in Japan and overseas.
By licensing Hemix, we hope to contribute to the prevention of global warming, he said.
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Japan to Earth, signing off.
