February 2025 Activity Report ~ Introduction of Biomass Poly Bags! ~

Hello. I’m Kimura from the Sustainability Team.

This month, we changed the standard bags (poly bags) essential to our internal operations to a more sustainable specification!

These poly bags are indispensable for sorting various products such as outer fabrics, linings, zippers, and buttons delivered to our customers, and for preventing dirt until they reach the customer.

Reducing usage or choosing not to use them is an option, but in reality that is not practical when considering operational efficiency.

So, as a first step in the transition, we changed the frequently used No. 10 (small) and No. 14 (medium) poly bags to bags that have obtained biomass certification!

Nakagawa Seidai Kako Bio Standard Bag, Bio Jaken 10
Product introduction: This bag is made with green (biomass) polyethylene derived from plants (sugarcane), which helps reduce CO2 emissions and conserve petroleum resources.
It has the effect of reducing environmental impact and is certified with the Biomass Mark by the Japan Biomass Plastics Association, with 10% or more plant-derived content.
It is also an environmentally friendly bag that is easy to recycle, as it displays the biomass certification using an embossed pattern without using printing ink.

If you look closely at the surface of the bag, you can see the embossed "Biomass Mark / Biomass 10" stamp, but because the design does not get in the way even when products are packed inside, it can be used without any inconvenience.

What is biomass, anyway?

Biomass materials, which are now commonly used not only in everyday items but also in apparel materials that we handle every day.

We tend to associate biomass with sustainability, but I think there are still not many people who can clearly explain what makes it sustainable. (I was one of them.)

*Biomass* refers to resources derived from living organisms such as plants and animals. In particular, it refers to renewable organic resources excluding fossil fuels, and is used as energy and raw materials.

 Specific examples of biomass 

 • Plant-based: wood, crops, algae, etc. 

 • Animal-based: livestock excrement, fish residue, etc. 

 • Waste-based: food waste, paper waste, etc. 

 Main uses of biomass 

① Fuel: biomass power generation, bioethanol, biodiesel 

② Chemical products: bioplastics, biofibers

③ Fertilizer / feed: compost, biogas by-products 

Biomass is considered carbon neutral (the CO₂ emitted during combustion is offset by the CO₂ absorbed during the growth process), and is a resource that helps reduce environmental impact.

Have you gotten a general idea of what "biomass" is?

Based on the above, the standard bag we used this time is a "plant-based" "chemical product."

Summary

We initially introduced it on a trial basis, but its transparency and strength were not significantly different from the bags we had been using, so we decided to fully transition to it. 

 This is just my personal impression, but with poly bags that claim to be sustainable, I had worried that the vinyl would be too thin, stretch too easily, or lack strength, but when we actually used them, they were not like that at all and were easy to use.

Although it does cost more, I thought it was important to actually pick it up once, look at it, touch it, and check it with our own eyes.

Because it is something we use every day without hesitation, I want us to steadily and steadily adopt things that can be changed to more sustainable alternatives!