First Product Making Partial Use of Film-to-Film Recycled Plastic Reaches the Market
Kao Corporation aims to achieve plastic packaging net zero waste by 2040 and negative waste by 2050 by cutting down on plastic containers used and emitted in its business activities to achieve resource circularity in society. In April 2019, Kao established its ESG strategy, the Kirei Lifestyle Plan. This plan outlines 19 leadership actions, one of which is zero waste, to which this strategy contributes. The following outlines the roadmap for achieving this goal and reports on progress made in 2022.
In the Our Philosophy & Action on Plastic Packaging, announced in 2018, Kao pledged to reduce its use of plastic packaging and recirculate used plastic. In line with the 4Rs, Kao is reducing plastic use by making containers and packaging thinner, increasing package capacity, making products more highly concentrated and using thinner film packaging for primary containers, promoting reuse by offering refill and replacement products, replacing fossil-derived raw materials with sustainable alternatives and promoting recycling so as to recirculate used plastic packaging.
The Kao Sustainability Report 2022 also makes zero waste one of the key leadership action themes of the Kirei Lifestyle Plan ESG strategy, aiming to achieve net zero waste for plastic packaging emitted by the company by 2040 and negative waste for plastic packaging by 2050. Kao’s net zero waste initiative aims to make the quantity of plastic recycled equivalent to the quantity of plastic packaging it produces. Negative waste means reaching the stage where the quantity of plastic recycled is greater than the plastic packaging produced by Kao.
Innovation in Reduction
Kao will promote the use of recycled plastic and bio-based plastic and reduce fossil-based plastic use, which will peak* by 2030, ultimately phasing them out completely by 2050.
Innovation in Recycling
Under Innovation in Recycling, Kao will recycle resources by producing products and services making use of the plastic waste discarded by all sectors of society and will begin by boosting the recycle rate for plastics it uses to over 50% (by weight) by 2030. To promote recycling, Kao is taking three approaches: utilizing its own technology to recycle used plastics into useful products and services (“positive recycling”), using recycled plastic for its packaging, and increasing the quantity of plastic that Kao collects with partners and that can be used by industry and consumers.
Of the 91,000 tons of plastics Kao used for its packaging in 2022, 88,000 tons came from fossil-based plastic. Kao aims to reduce the quantity of plastics used in its packaging and in broader society by 200,000 tons by 2030, through promoting the use of refill and replacement products and adopting technology such as making products more highly concentrated. In 2022, reduction achieved was 144,000 tons.
Indicator | Mid-to long-term targets Target Value |
Mid-to long-term targets Year |
2022 Results (2021 Results) |
---|---|---|---|
Quantity of fossil-based plastics used in | packagingWill peak and | begin to decline2030 | 88,000 tons (Previous year | performance currently being recalculated)
Quantity of innovative film-based packaging | penetration for Kao and others per annum300 million | 2030 | 13 million (11 million) |
Plastic recycling rate with Kao involvement | 50% | 2030 | 3% (1%) |
Practical use of innovative film-based packaging | made from collected pouchesProduct launch | 2025 | Ongoing development (ongoing | development)
% of recycled plastic used in PET containers | (Japan)100% | 2025 | 69% (19%) |
Of the waste generated from Kao sites*, ratio of
|
waste that cannot be recycled
Zero (less than 1%) |
2030 | 4.2% (9.1%) |
% reduction of discarded products and discarded | sales promotion materials (Base year: 2020)95% | 2030 | 20% (14%) |
The Kao Group adopted the Kao Group Mid-term Plan 2025 (K25) in 2021, promoting the vision of “protecting future lives” and “sustainability as the only path.” The Kao Group will continue to integrate its ESG strategy into its management practices, develop its business, provide better products and services for consumers and society, and work toward its purpose, “to realize a Kirei world in which all life lives in harmony.”
Over the past 130 years, Kao has worked to improve people’s lives and help them realize more sustainable lifestyles—a Kirei Lifestyle. The Japanese word ‘kirei’ describes something that is clean, well-ordered and beautiful, all at the same time. The Kao Group established its ESG strategy, the Kirei Lifestyle Plan in April 2019, which is designed to deliver the vision of a gentler and more sustainable way of living. By 2030, Kao aims to empower at least 1 billion people, to enjoy more beautiful lives and have 100% of its products leave a full lifecycle environmental footprint that science says our natural world can safely absorb. For more information, please click here.
Kao creates high-value-added products and services that provide care and enrichment for the life of all people and the planet. Through its portfolio of over 20 leading brands such as Attack, Bioré, Goldwell, Jergens, John Frieda, Kanebo, Laurier, Merries, and Molton Brown, Kao is part of the everyday lives of people in Asia, Oceania, North America, and Europe. Combined with its chemical business, which contributes to a wide range of industries, Kao generates about 1,550 billion yen in annual sales. Kao employs about 35,400 people worldwide and has 136 years of history in innovation. Please visit the Kao Group website for updated information.
Public Relations
Kao Corporation