Reducing Packaging Materials

Packaging have an important role and function as a product component, such as providing information and instructions for use, protecting the contents, and preserving product quality during transportation.

Kao conducts R&D on materials used in packaging to enable fulfilling such roles and functions while minimizing the amount of resources required. Our R&D strives to decrease the environmental impact by adhering to the 4Rs: fundamentally "Reduce" the size of products and packaging, "Replace" to more sustainable materials, "Reuse" materials, and finally, "Recycle" materials for later use.

4Rs for packaging materials

  • Reduce: Concentrate contents and make packaging materials more compact
  • Replace: Replace to more sustainable materials
  • Reuse: Reuse packaging materials using refill and replacement products
  • Recycle: Use more recycled materials

Detail information is as follows;

Reducing resin used for packaging

By boosting the performance of concentrated liquid laundry detergent Attack ZERO and reducing packaging size, we have been able to greatly reduce use of packaging material resources.
Compared to Attack 3X, our existing liquid detergent, the weight of plastic resins used has been reduced by about 39% for the plastic packaging and by about 58% for the refill pack (per one use).

In the case of Blauné foam hair color for gray hair, package modifications to make the foam easier to dispense have made it possible to reduce the weight of plastic resins used by about 34% and cut CO2 emissions for the package by about 35%.

In the case of Sofina beauté Lotion, we developed a refill that allows all the liquid to be transferred completely, without spills. Compared to the original container, use of refill packs has reduced CO2 emissions by about 67%.

Switching to renewable raw materials

Kao is converting raw materials from petroleum-based resins to plant-based renewable one.

Bottle

Merit shampoo and conditioner (regular size bottle) uses approx.30% of the bottle weight bio-polyethylene and Essential, Asience, and Segreta shampoo and conditioner (pomp type bottle) uses approx. 20% of the bottle weight bio-polyethylene.

Raku-raku Eco Pack Refill
(Essential shampoo and conditioner, Merit shampoo and conditioner)

Raku-raku Eco Pack Refill uses approx. 50% of the spout weight bio-polyethylene.

Use of recycled plastics

Attack ZERO, CuCute and Biore u the Body use 100%*1 recycled PET.

  • * 1 Excluding colorants, label films, pumps and caps.

Zero Waste

Zero Waste

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