HighChem Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Taka Ushio; hereinafter "HighChem") and Kousoku Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture; President and CEO: Yuki Terashi; hereinafter "Kousoku") have jointly developed a new product "PLA Inflation Film" using a blend of biodegradable polylactic acid (hereinafter "PLA") derived from corn and marine biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (hereinafter "PHA"). This film has been adopted as suit covers for European high-end brands and shows promise for wide-ranging applications.

Kousoku, a major trading company specializing in light packaging materials, and HighChem, which handles a wide range of biodegradable materials, have been cooperating to develop and promote biodegradable materials. Through this partnership, they have developed an inflation film technology using PLA and PHA, which was previously considered difficult to manufacture.

By combining HighChem's extensive procurement capabilities and market development of biodegradable materials with Kousoku's superior product development and sales capabilities, they have begun exploring new demand in the biodegradable inflation film sector.

Industry First: New Processing Ideas for Biodegradable Plastic Films
Kousoku's Outstanding Sales Force and Creative Solutions

Since its establishment in 1966, Kousoku has steadily expanded its business in the light flexible packaging materials sector, offering packaging solutions with over 1,600 suppliers and more than 140,000 items.

Specializing in packaging, they operate under the motto "If it doesn't exist, we'll create it," developing not only packaging materials but also various promotional tools and selling packaging-related equipment.

HighChem's Raw Material Procurement and Market Development in Biodegradable Materials

HighChem has been at the forefront of biodegradable materials market development, including signing a strategic partnership agreement with Anhui Fengyuan Group Co., Ltd. (Fengyuan Group), China's largest PLA manufacturer. They have established a system to import and sell seven types of biodegradable materials, including not only PLA but also PBAT and PHA. In December 2021, they announced next-generation PLA material "HIGHLACT®" and are developing PLA fibers for apparel use.

Adoption as Suit Covers for European High-end Brands

Traditionally, PE (polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene) resins or films partially made with bio-materials were used for apparel suit transportation. The groundbreaking technology newly developed by Kousoku and HighChem has led to the adoption of "PLA Inflation Film," which is 100% biomass-based and biodegradable, as suit covers for European high-end brands.

These suit covers contribute to a carbon-neutral society as environmentally friendly materials using plant-based biomass resins. They have also obtained the JBPA (Japan BioPlastics Association) biodegradable biomass plastic certification.

Antibacterial Effect

The newly developed suit covers demonstrate strong antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli, providing antimicrobial protection during transportation and storage.

Future Developments

As corporate activities are required to address global environmental challenges such as climate change and marine pollution, both companies are developing and marketing technologies using PLA and PHA, creating new value to propose solutions for achieving a sustainable society. They are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create environmentally friendly products. They recognize that transitioning to a circular economy is essential for solving global environmental challenges. Under the principle of reducing petrochemical-derived raw materials usage and effectively utilizing existing natural resources for circular economic activities, they will continue to propose broad solutions. HighChem plans to exhibit at the Sustainable Materials Exhibition to be held at Makuhari Messe from October 29-31, 2024.

About HighChem Co., Ltd. （https://highchem.co.jp/)

Company name: HighChem Co., Ltd.
Location: 11th Floor, Tokyo Toranomon Global Square, 1-3-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
President: Taka Ushio
Business Overview: Import/export and sales of chemicals, contract manufacturing, technology licensing-related operations, catalyst manufacturing and sales, biodegradable materials sales, etc.

About Kousoku Co., Ltd.

Company name: Kosoku Co., Ltd.
Location: 7-4-20 Ougi-machi, Miyagino-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
President and CEO: Yuki Terashi
Business Activities: Sales of food light packaging materials, food containers, films, plastic bags, laminated products, paper products, packaging machinery and equipment, etc.

For more information, please contact:
＜HighChem Co., Ltd. Public Relations office＞
Ms. Kuroiwa (+81-90-6539-4213)  TEL: +81-3-5251-8580 E-mail: koho@highchem.co.jp