Sony develops recyclable paper from natural materials to be used in packaging

14 / 06 / 2021

By Marwa Nassar - -

Sony Group Corporation and Sony Corporation (“Sony”) have developed “Original Blended Material,” an environmentally conscious and sustainable paper material made from bamboo, sugar cane fiber and post-consumer recycled paper, whose origins are specified.

Original Blended Material is a recyclable, durable and strong paper material that does not use any plastic. Sony has adopted this material for the packaging of WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones, which is uncolored to take advantage of the various shades of the material. Sony intends to adopt this material for the packaging of further select products.

Recycled paper is procured in the area where packages made from Original Blended Material are produced. In addition, the strength of the material is increased by combining the recycled paper with bamboo and sugarcane fiber. Recycled paper can provide a unique design by making the best use of the color of recycled paper, without adding any coloring.

Since it can be embossed, it is also possible to further improve environmental attributes by incorporating characters into the design without the use of ink.

Bamboo is a plant with a short growth cycle, similar to sugarcane. Only the necessary amount is sorted and cut down to ensure the entire bamboo mountains retain a sustainable growing cycle, reducing the impact on nature.

In addition, the bamboo used for Original Blended Material is cultivated in three mountains in the Guizhou Province, China, and is a different type of bamboo than the one used as a food source by the pandas that live in these mountains.

The pomace of sugarcane that is leftover in the process of producing sugar is used. Most sugarcane pomace is burned as fuel for power generation and causes carbon dioxide emissions. By adopting it as Original Blended Material, it can be used as a recyclable resource. Only the pomace of sugarcane cultivated in fields within a radius of 100 km of Nakhon Sawan, Thailand is used.

By sharing the origins of Original Blended Material, Sony also aims to create opportunities to consider its environmental initiatives with customers.

Sony continues to promote packaging that eliminates plastics through initiatives such as using Original Blended Materials, toward the “elimination of plastic packaging from newly-designed small products” set in its medium-term environmental targets “Green Management 2025”.