Reducing Packaging Waste

We are working to balance the quality of our products with environmental concerns such as final waste disposal sites and depletion of resources, with regard to the containers and packaging of the products that we supply to customers. Appropriate packaging is essential for ensuring safety and maintaining the freshness of products, but once the products are consumed, that packaging becomes waste material. Also, in recent years, marine plastic litter has become an increasingly serious problem, so reducing plastic use has become a social issue. The NH Foods Group is focusing on these circumstances, examining what we should do with regard to containers and packaging,and taking action.

Case Study of Reducing Plastic Use

Wieners

Packages replaced drawstring pouches with pillow packaging for the SCHAU ESSEN and other core wiener products.The new packaging has been named Eco-Pirotype packaging. Changes to the design have reduced the amount of material used by about 28%, which is expected to cut annual CO2 emissions by approximately 4,000 tons.

Note1: Comparison refers to SCHAU ESSEN 127g double pack with drawstring (comparison of film weight)

Note2: Value as of January 20, 2022, calculated using shipment quantities in fiscal 2020 (based on research by NH Foods Group)

Previous packaging New packaging
SCHAU ESSEN CHEESE
SCHAU ESSEN CHEESE
SCAU ESEEN HOT CHILI
SCAU ESEEN HOT CHILI
Houjun
Houjun
Mori-no-Kaori
Mori-no-Kaori

Chuka Meisai

We reduced the amount of plastic used for our Chuka Meisai series by approximately  21% by switching to a packaging method (non-tray packaging) that does away with the plastic trays used in the past.
Calculated based on the number of units shipped for 10 out of 15 items in the 2021 Chuka Meisai series.

Chuka Meisai
Chuka Meisai
Previous tray New tray

Kanade Specialty Margherita

Switching to paper trays and shrinking the exterior packaging has reduced plastic use by 37%*.

Note: Compared to the previous version of the same product

Kanade Specialty Margherita
Kanade Specialty Margherita
Previous tray (plastic) New tray (paper)

Nippon Luna Inc. Ísey SKYR series

We have switched the containers of Ísey SKYR, a series of Icelandic high-protein dairy products that we launched in Japan, from plastic to paper. Switching to paper containers has reduced plastic use by 94%*.

Note: Compared to the previous version of the same product

Previous container(plastic) New container(paper)

Case Study of Using Recycled Resources

Irodori Kitchen series

Irodori Kitchen Roast Ham
Irodori Kitchen Roast Ham

We are using recycled PET film as part of the packaging.

Entier series

Entier Lemon & Parsley
Entier Lemon & Parsley

We are using recycled PET film as part of the packaging.

Domestic chicken”Sakurahime chicken farm packs”

Sakurahime chicken farm packs
Sakurahime chicken farm packs

A plant-derived biomass film is used for packaging lids.
Domestic chicken “Sakurahime chicken farm packs” is vacuum-packed at the production site, meaning it can be displayed in stores without having to be re-packaged to be sold at volume retailers, etc.

Note: Information in each case study is current as of September 2022.

Projected Waste Plastic Packaging Volume

Japan’s Containers and Packaging Recycling Law, requires companies that use containers and packaging to reuse those materials. The Group outsources the recycling of materials into products to the Japan Containers and Packaging Recycling Association and pays recycling outsourcing fees according to product manufacturing and sales volumes.

Contracted year 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Plastic (t) 7,735 7,188 6,495 6,429 6,909

Note: Quantities of plastic are based on plastic discharge applications in Japan under the Japanese Law for the Promotion of Sorted Collection and Recycling of Containers and Packaging.