Summary

Kirin Brewery carries out biodegradable testing both on site and in collaboration with suppliers. On-site facilities include carbon dioxide production from soil microcosms. Kirin is also hoping to get Bionolle from Showa High Polymer for testing, but has not received any material to date. The company, which is heavily involved in primary and secondary food packaging, would like to use a renewable resource rather than a petroleum-based source for the production of packaging materials.

Highlights

• Kirin expects poly(lactic acid) to be the same price as poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET. The company will replace PET with PLA if it has the required material properties.

• The company appears to be committed to using recyclable or biodegradable materials for packaging. Kirin has stopped development work with new materials because the company believes that it is too far behind. However, the company continues to work closely with potential suppliers.