Promotion of environmentally friendly containers and Packaging

Efforts by the Kikkoman Group

In March 2008, the Kikkoman Group stipulated the “Kikkoman’s Guidelines for Containers and Packaging” to clarify the Group’s attitude toward enhancing convenience and safety for customers, and reducing impact on the environment by reducing container and package weight, and recycling.

[Kikkoman’s Guidelines for Containers and Packaging]

The Kikkoman Group will procure, develop, and merchandise containers and packaging with low environmental impact that are suitable for production, transportation, storage, and sales, and which are also safe and easy for consumers to use.

  1. 1Reduce weight of containers and packaging.
  2. 2Introduce and use returnable containers and packaging for our products.
  3. 3Consider applying shapes, designs, and materials to containers and packaging that facilitate sorted collection and reuse. Promote repackaging current products in new containers and packaging in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations of each country.
  4. 4Make greater use of sustainable resources.
  5. 5Increase procurement from environmentally conscious suppliers and vendors.
  6. 6Use materials with chemical compositions and shapes that have been verified as safe for humans.
  7. 7Collect customer feedback and information regarding where and how they purchase and use our products and incorporate it into the development of new containers and packaging.
    Strive to develop new containers and packaging.
  8. 8Develop containers and packaging with universal designs to make them easy to use for a diverse range of customers.

History of Soy Sauce Container and Packaging

Soy sauce is a traditional Japanese seasoning that in the past would be contained in such ceramics as jars, pots and bottles, and wooden barrels. Later glass bottles were used starting in the Meiji period (1868-1912) and metal cans were used starting in the Taisho period (1912-1926). Currently polyethylene terephthalate (commonly abbreviated PET) bottles are mainly used for soy sauce.

Ceramic bottles called ‘comprador bottles’(Owned by the Kikkoman Institute for International Food Culture)
Ceramic bottles called ‘comprador bottles’
(Owned by the Kikkoman Institute for International Food Culture)
Wooden barrel(Owned by the Kikkoman Institute for International Food Culture)
Wooden barrel
(Owned by the Kikkoman Institute for International Food Culture)
Kikkoman Soy Sauce (250-ml glass bottle)
Kikkoman Soy Sauce (250-ml glass bottle)
Kikkoman Soy sauce (148-ml bottle for tabletop use)
Kikkoman Soy sauce (148-ml bottle for tabletop use)
Kikkoman Soy Sauce in the 3.8-L metal can exported in 1920
Kikkoman Soy Sauce in the 3.8-L metal can exported in 1920
Kikkoman Soy Sauce in the 18-L metal can on sale in Japan
Kikkoman Soy Sauce in the 18-L metal can on sale in Japan

PET bottles feature strong insulation against oxygen and resistance to shock (difficult to damage), as well as high transparency. Kikkoman began using PET bottles as soy sauce containers in February 1977, becoming the first to adopt PET containers in the domestic food industry.

Soy sauce in the 500-ml Man Pack (PET bottle) developed by Kikkoman in 1977
Soy sauce in the 500-ml Man Pack (PET bottle) developed by Kikkoman in 1977
Kikkoman soy sauce 1L PET bottle  currently on sale in Japan
Kikkoman soy sauce 1L PET bottle currently on sale in Japan

Even after adopting the use of PET bottles, and in cooperation with a resin molding manufacturer, Kikkoman has endeavored to enhance their properties, such as thinner bottles (reduced amount of materials to be used and lighter weight), strength, quality-retention capacity, and recyclability.
For example, in FY2015, Kikkoman succeeded to a 5.6% reduction in the weight of 1.8-L Handy PET bottles for Kikkoman Soy Sauce and Kikkoman Light-Colored (Usukuchi) Soy Sauce, by making thinner bottles without decreasing their strength. And in FY2016 Kikkoman succeeded in a 12.5% reduction in the weight of 500-ml bottles for Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce.

Kikkoman Soy Sauce (1.8-L Handy PET bottle) and Kikkoman Light-Colored (Usukuchi) Soy Sauce (1.8-L Handy PET bottle)
Kikkoman Soy Sauce (1.8-L Handy PET bottle) and Kikkoman Light-Colored (Usukuchi) Soy Sauce (1.8-L Handy PET bottle)
Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce (500-ml PET bottle)
Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce (500-ml PET bottle)

PET bottles discarded after use in homes are generally collected by local municipalities, sold to recycle dealers, and then processed into PET-resin pellets (or flakes) that are reused as raw materials for various products including containers (such as egg cartons), clothing, and stationery.
Kikkoman is also focused on ways to make caps and product labels easy to remove using non-PET-materials for PET bottles to facilitate the recovery of resources.

Easy-to-Remove Cap (Eco-Cap) ® previously used
Easy-to-Remove Cap (Eco-Cap) ® previously used
Currently used Easy-to-Remove Cap (Eco-Cap)®
Currently used Easy-to-Remove Cap (Eco-Cap)®

As part of these efforts, in FY2000 Kikkoman developed and introduced the Easy-to-Remove Cap (Eco-Cap®) (Trademark Registration No. 4319133), an improved cap with an easier-to-remove mouth plug, followed by its continuous pursuit of “easier-to-use” and “easier-to-remove” functionalities that brought about improvements in cap shape and specifications in FY2003 and FY2009. In FY2001, the product labels were improved by using glue to facilitate easier removal by hand.

The soft plastic tabletop bottle, named “Yawaraka Mippu Bottle,” is considered as a next-generation container. The bottle has the special function to keep the color, taste, scent of the soy sauce fresh at room temperature for 90 days after opening and to be able to pour soy sauce freely from one drop to necessary amounts. The weight of the bottle is 33g, which is much lighter than the conventional glass tabletop bottle (159g). In August 2011, the Kikkoman Group has released a raw soy sauce product named “Itsudemo-Shinsen Shiboritate Nama-shoyu” using this bottle in Japan.
In addition, the following improvements were added to the bottle in FY2018.

  1. 1The main material of the new bottle was changed from polyethylene to polyethylene terephthalate.
  2. 2A product label and a cap which can be removed easily were adopted in the new bottle, for recycling purpose.
  3. 3The weight of the new bottle became 10% lighter.

With these improvements, the new bottle that was named “Mippu Eco Bottle” also has a high recycling function. From February 2018, the new products using this bottle were introduced.

The product bottled in a plastic tabletop bottle, named “Yawaraka Mippu Bottle”
The product bottled in a plastic tabletop bottle, named “Yawaraka Mippu Bottle”
The products bottled in a new bottle, named “Mippu Eco Bottle”
The products bottled in a new bottle, named “Mippu Eco Bottle”

“Mippu Eco Bottle” was awarded "The Japan Marketing Association Director’s Award” in Japan Packaging Contest 2018 held by the Japan Packaging Institute, in August 2018.

Awarding Ceremony of the “Japan Packaging Contest 2018” (August 2018 at Tokyo Garden Palace)
Awarding Ceremony of the “Japan Packaging Contest 2018” (August 2018 at Tokyo Garden Palace)

Also, in the FY2020, Kikkoman adopted an environmentally friendly approach by including recycled PET plastic in the bottle materials and gradually extending the use of recycled PET plastic to more containers.

Choosing environmentally friendly containers and packaging

The Kikkoman group is developing environmentally friendly containers that are easy to use and safe for customers and working to realize a sustainable society.

1)Lightweight Containers and Packaging

The Kikkoman group is working to reduce the weight of containers and packaging. In the fiscal 2022, Kikkoman reduced the weight of the glass bottles used in the Steak Soy Sauce Series by approximately 14.7%.

2)FSC®-Certified Paper Used for Containers

(Package made with FSC-certified paper)
(Package made with FSC-certified paper)

Kikkoman uses paper packaging for many of its products and is making sure to minimize the paper usage and improve its quality. As part of such efforts, Kikkoman Soyfoods Company uses FSC-certified paper for its paper containers of soymilk products they produce.

  • *FSC-certified paper: Paper certified under a global standard that verifies materials provided from properly managed forests in terms of environmental and social sustainability have been delivered to consumers through appropriate processing and distribution.

3)Use of Biomass Ink for Product Labels

Beginning in FY2019, Kikkoman Food Products Company started using biomass ink for product labels. Biomass ink is made partially with materials derived from cotton, pulp, rice bran, and other plant-originated resources (biomass), making it more environmentally friendly than the conventional ink, which is primarily made from petroleum-derived materials.

4)Release of Unlabeled Tomato Juice Bottles

In May 2022, Nippon Del Monte Corporation began selling Unsalted Tomato Juice without any labels attached to the bottles. (They are available only for online sales.) The product information is listed on each case containing 12 bottles, and there is no need to display product information on each bottle. This packaging can reduce the amount of plastic used for individual labels and also makes it easier for consumers to recycle the bottles.

5)Introduction of Compact Packaging Design

Nippon Del Monte Corporation introduced the compact packaging design for juice gift boxes. The cans are compactly packed in an upright orientation, which provides ease of storage, handling, and disposal. For the manufacturers, they can save paper resources (30% reduction compared to the older design in the same price range), and demonstrate their commitment to eco-friendly practice, and give the products a luxurious look. It will also help the retailers to expand their current market.