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Sales Pitch

A new material that reliably halves the consumption of disposable plastic materials (MAPKA)

Non-plastics that are low in shrinkage, highly-rigid, heat-resistant, high in vibration damping, antistatic, with other characteristics

- The raw material accounting for the largest ratio in terms of weight is paper powder. Products molded with MAPKA are, therefore, not plastics.
- Nowhere else in the world are there molding materials or products made from paper powder plastics. We, and our group of companies (both at home and abroad), are the only businesses that can produce such items. Our factories are in Ibaraki, Japan, the USA and South Korea. In the fall of 2020, a new factory will open in Toyama, Japan.
- Moreover, the Ministry of the Environment's “Resource Circulation Strategy for Plastics" for fiscal 2019 explicitly mentions "paper and bioplastics, etc." as an alternative to plastics.
- Environmental contamination caused by plastics is, today, a common issue throughout the world. Not only the West but also in China legal restrictions have been imposed, eliminating disposable plastic products from the market in one fell swoop, and making other urgent moves. In terms of such moves, Japan is currently lagging behind.
- Not "from now on" but "immediately," it is imperative for all parties - producers, fabricators, and users to tackle this issue and achieve results over the short term.
- MAPKA is the most promising candidate right now for mass production. It will not lead to significant price hikes, and will achieve the same functions as plastics. 

Applicable regions

- Food containers (food trays, bowls, cups, bottles, chopsticks, etc.)
- Stationery goods, toys, amenities (clips, photo stands, brushes, combs, etc.)
- Architectural materials
- Automobiles, home electronics

"ER®", as an alternative to foamed plastics, which are a leading cause of the marine plastic problem

An extremely safe foam that is free of chemical substances and is a foamed body consisting of paper powder, industrial starch, and synthetic resin with steam

- With growing concerns over marine plastics, moves are on the rise all over the world to limit the use of foamed plastics.
- Cheap, highly functional foamed plastics have spread throughout the world. Some of its constituents, however, contain environmentally hostile chemicals. After use, they turn into plastic waste, which decomposes, contaminating the oceans, soil, and other aspects of nature.
- The West and China have already imposed regulations on the use and production of plastics. Alternatives, however, are in overwhelmingly short supply.
- ER was developed based on our paper pulverization technology, using a unique process where paper powder is mixed with industrial starch and synthetic resin and foamed with steam.
- No chemicals are used in the raw material or process. ER is therefore extremely low in environmental hostility. It is totally different from foamed plastics.
- As an architectural material, ER was spotlighted as a VOC-free "insulator that causes no sick building syndrome."
- Cooler boxes, combined with corrugated cardboard, display a performance comparable to that of conventional products. For storage, being foldable, they are less bulky than foamed plastics. They can therefore have a wide range of uses such as in B-to-B logistics, B-to-C gifts, mail-order services.
- Factories: We have fulfillment centers in Chiba, Sapporo, Okayama, Kyoto, and Fukui.

Applied product 1 (refrigerated package)

The combination of corrugated cardboard with a foamed insulator exhibits a cold insulation performance comparable to that of Styrofoam. Corrugated cardboard alone cannot achieve that cold insulation. Foamed insulator in isolation, on the other hand, finds it hard to keep its shape and transport products. The combination of the two has completed a next-generation cooler box.

This has entered the market of B-to-B distribution, gifts, and mail-order services as an alternative to foamed plastic containers. Another advantage is that, being collapsible, this cool box is not bulky.

Applied product 2 (cushioning and other package materials)

This product is made less environmentally hostile as an alternative to foamed plastic cushion and package materials, by including a weight ratio of 55.65% worth of paper powder and industrial starch, and by using recycled material for the remaining plastic.

Applied product 3 (housing insulator)

With a process that uses no chemicals as raw materials, this product helps prevent sick building syndrome, distinguishing it from plastic insulators.

Other presentation

[Company strength]
Our capital stock was increased to 470 million yen by investment in stocks by the Development Bank of Japan Inc. This shows the high evaluation of our three unique technologies: dry continuous powdering technology, technology for uniform mixing with synthetic resin, and technology for foaming synthetic resin using steam. Our “Made in Japan” technologies have earned customers’ trust and we have received Small and Medium Enterprise New Technologies/New Products Awards (Award for Excellence), Tokyo Venture Technical Award (Award for Excellence), Monozukuri (Manufacturing) Nippon Grand Award (Award for Excellence), GPEC International Plastic Environmental Conference (Environmental Management Award), and others.

[Business description]
Our company developed unique materials and applied them to food containers, construction materials, automobiles, home electronics appliances, commodities, etc. as business opportunities. We offer products having superior physical properties, prices, and environmental performance based on our research of products of other companies. Our technologies for paper powdering and uniform mixing with synthetic resin are unique in the world; there is no equivalent product on the market.

[Industry]
Manufacturing

[Representative's message]
Our key technologies for mass-production using paper powdering have been established with the support of many people. We developed the system using various kinds of paper as raw materials for industrial use for about 10 years. We are proud of our exclusive technologies and equipment for dry paper powder manufacturing. We plan to actively expand globally as a strategy to successfully increase our competitiveness in overseas markets. We will actively utilize J-GoodTech for global growth.

[Company structure for market development/overseas expansion]
We cannot continue to succeed only with good technologies and products in the market. We must earn a reputation for cost and mass-production capabilities in addition to high quality in order to survive. Amid such conditions, we have created a system for providing recyclable materials and products for molding. We have expanded overseas by establishing a new factory in Michigan in the United States, and are preparing to set up bases in developed resource-rich countries.

[Awards and media coverage]
[Awards]
GPEC International Plastic Environmental Conference, Environmental Management Award; The Presidential Commission, Gold Award; selected as one of Global Niche Top Companies by Academic Council, United Nations; Small and Medium Enterprise New Technologies/New Products Awards, Award for Excellence; Tokyo Venture Technical Award, Award for Excellence; Monozukuri (Manufacturing) Nippon Grand Award, Award for Excellence; and many other prestigious awards


[Authorization/Certification]
No permit or license required.

[Intellectual property]
We hold 40 Japanese patents including: No. 5683529: Method of manufacturing resin compounds containing fine paper powder, No. 4594445: Cellular porous medium and its manufacturing method, No. 3831687: Pellets and its manufacturing method, and 35 overseas patents.

This company is recommended by the following support organizations.

Marketing Support Department, SMRJ

一般社団法人首都圏産業活性化協会

Kanto Head Office, SMRJ