Ethical
Packaging Solutions
The Toyo Ink Group manufactures a full range of packaging-related products, from inks and laminating adhesives to their key raw materials, pigments and resins. As a comprehensive manufacturer, we are committed to creating products that contain lower levels of petroleum solvents.
Items containing petroleum solvents are known to discharge chemical substances, with potential negative effects on both the ecosystem and human health. For the past two decades, our goal has been to reduce levels of petroleum solvents and provide truly sustainable packaging solutions.
In recent years, consumers have also increasingly chosen products they believe to be ethically created and sustainable. Companies are now expected to consider both the environmental and social impact of the production lines and supply chains used to manufacture and deliver their products.
The Toyo Ink Group is dedicated to providing ethical packaging solutions. These solutions are designed to help food and goods manufacturers develop and distribute the ethical products required by modern consumers. They are also designed to help manufacturers reduce waste through the whole supply chain.
Toyo Ink Group
Business Segments
Colorants and
Functional Materials
- Organic pigments
- High performance pigments
- Pigment dispersions
- Plastic colorants
- Resilient coating materials
- LCD color filter materials
Polymers and
Coatings
- Coating materials
- Adhesives
- Laminating adhesives
- Hot-melt adhesives
- Resins
- Can coatings
- Natural extracts
Printing and
Information
- Offset inks (web, sheetfed)
- UV-curable inks
- Newspaper inks
- Metal decorative inks
- Inkjet inks
- Printing materials and machinery
Packaging
Materials
- Gravure inks
- Flexo inks
- Screen inks
- Gravure printing solvents
- Gravure printing systems
and prepress
Commitment to
Personal Health
The Swiss Ordinance SR817.023.21 came into force in 2010 as an initial step to regulate the printing inks used for food packaging materials. In addition to Europe and North America, where awareness of food safety is already well advanced, the regulation has had a significant impact on industries in emerging countries.
The Swiss Ordinance SR RS817.023.21 was the first to prohibit various substances reported to contain specific levels of toxic or endocrine disrupting chemicals. This regulation also strictly limits the volumes of substances allowed to migrate to food contents from individual materials that are approved for use.
Since then, food manufacturers and packaging companies with global business interests have introduced their own systems of self-regulation on a par with the ordinance. This has in turn created strong international demand for low-migration inks for food packages.
Initiatives for
Climate Change
Inks, coatings and adhesives include petroleum solvents as raw materials. These solvents contain a number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as toluene, xylene and ethyl acetate, which volatilize easily under normal ambient temperatures and pressures.
VOCs are a major source of photochemical oxidants and suspended particulate matter (SPM), both of which are leading causes of air pollution and health issues. They are classified with carbon dioxide (CO2) as one of the six main greenhouse gases, and are grouped with related gases such as nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
These greenhouse and related gases are specified as targets for reduction under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In 2015, the Paris Agreement reached at COP21 expanded the group of affected countries from some developed nations to all countries worldwide. The reduction of these harmful gases is now a global priority.
Reduction of Supply Chain Waste
Retort pouches containing pot-au-feu style meals were one of the many important innovations carried by Apollo 11 on its historic first lunar mission in 1969. Since proving its utility in space, retort food has also become a popular choice for quick and convenient meal preparation here on Earth.
Retort pouches are sterilized at high temperature and pressure, allowing their contents to be kept longer without preservatives. They also do not require refrigeration, which significantly reduces equipment needs and energy costs. With one-third of the world’s food production currently being discarded, retort pouches offer a way to extend the shelf life of items and effectively reduce waste. They could also be used to address various social and humanitarian issues. This includes the delivery of hygienic food products to people in developing countries, where populations continue to increase sharply.
Due to the many advantages offered by retort pouches, their use is expected to grow significantly in various fields. The Toyo Ink Group is a retort pouch pioneer and has been developing related technologies in cooperation with food manufacturers since the 1970s.
Global Development of
Brand Identity
Shiseido de Luxe was originally launched as a high-end cosmetic in 1932 and has continued to sell well for many years. The brand is easily identified by the graceful Rococo arabesque design that has adorned its packaging for more than eight decades. For Shiseido, this design has taken on a special meaning similar to the symbolic camellia flower that forms its corporate logo.
Cosmetics manufacturers such as Shiseido often require their packaging to communicate a brand’s concept and story while protecting the contents and providing product information. In response, The Toyo Ink Group has been working with brand owners, designers, packaging and printing companies and material manufacturers to develop special inks.
These inks allow the creation of sophisticated gold, silver and pearl tones as well as distinctive stereoscopic effects and textures. We are committed to developing new colors and functions that enhance a company’s ability to emphasize unique selling points and concepts when designing packaging. This flexibility enables the creation of products that will capture customer attention in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Contact Us
- Packaging Department,Global Business Division
- 81-3-3272-0891