The Yakult Group aims to establish a foundation for environmentally conscious container and packaging technology in order to address challenges related to the growing social issues around plastic waste, such as environmental pollution and the recycling of resources. We plan to reduce the environmental impact of our plastic containers and packaging, and at the same time transition to easily recyclable materials. We will continue to pursue initiatives around containers and packaging, including reducing the amount of plastic used in them and improving recycling based on quantitative targets.
In recent years, issues such as plastic pollution in oceans, climate change, and natural resource depletion have become global problems. In light of this, Yakult engages in initiatives to promote recycling of plastic containers and packaging.
We announced Environmental Vision 2050 in April 2021. Through Environmental Actions (2021-2024) and Environmental Targets 2030, our short-term and medium-term milestones towards achieving Environmental Vision 2050, we aim to reduce plastic containers and packaging by 5% by the end of fiscal 2024 and by 30% by the end of fiscal 2030 compared to fiscal 2018 levels, or make them recyclable.
As part of our efforts to design containers and packaging with low levels of environmental impact, in 1995 we instituted guidelines for more concrete initiatives with the fundamental goals of ensuring the safety of containers and packaging, reducing the amount of packaging used, optimizing processing/ disposal processes and promoting resource recycling. We announced our Declaration of Action on Plastic Recycling in January 2019 to focus attention on issues such as plastic pollution in oceans, global warming and natural resource depletion, and to show our commitment to recycling our plastic containers and packaging.
Since fiscal 2014, we have been working to use more bioplastic, which is made from renewable organic resources such as plant matter, in the shrink labels for some products sold in PET containers. In October 2020, we transitioned to using biomass material in the plastic straws and multi-pack shrink wrap for Yakult no Hakko Tonyu.
We are also working to increase our use of bio-based ink. In the past, we used this ink primarily in shrink labels for products sold in PET containers. In fiscal 2021 we began using it in the shrink labels for 5 products, including Milouge. Products using bioplastic and bio-based ink are certified by the Japan Organics Recycling Association as using plant-derived resources (biomass) and conforming to all relevant laws, regulations, and standards for quality and safety, and bear the “Biomass Mark.”
