Low-impact product development

initiatives to increase the proportion of low-impact products

The Sustainable R&D Subcommittee, which is a company-wide organization made up of members from the R&D department, quality assurance department, each Department, and production and logistics department, has defined low-impact products as new or renewed products (including products with an improved low-impact rating) that meet at least one of the following criteria: 1) low impact on the global environment, 2) low impact on people's work and labor environments, and 3) response to food resource depletion. The committee is working to promote and monitor the improvement of the ratio of low-impact products, aiming to achieve the target of 100%*1 low-impact product ratio by 2030.
On the other hand, when we look at the ratio of low-impact products limited to the contents of products*2, the current ratio is still low at 30%, so Sustainable R&D Subcommittee discussed measures to increase the ratio across divisions and set the target for 2030 at 38%.

Figure 1

In terms of containers and packaging, we will further promote initiatives to eliminate plastic waste, which will lead to our goal of a 100% low-impact product ratio by 2030. To achieve zero plastic waste, Packaging Working Group *3 is taking the lead in strengthening the development and horizontal expansion of Smart Green Pack^® (J-OIL MILLS' paper pack series that takes into consideration the global environment and ease of use) and promoting recyclability by turning plastic into a monomaterial*4.
Furthermore, if we classify the current low-impact products by target (Figure 2), we can see that there are many products that are ① environmentally friendly and ② address human work and labor environments. However, in preparation for 2030, we will strengthen initiatives in ③ addressing the depletion of food resources by extending best-before dates, developing new products that address food waste, and extending the best-before dates of existing products.

Figure 2

In addition, we have introduced an environmental checklist into the product design and development process to promote the development of new low-impact products and renewals that incorporate low-impact features, and to ensure that we can monitor these efforts continuously.
After its launch in 2023, the scope will be gradually expanded, with the aim of actively incorporating "low impact," one of the means to achieve "Joy for Life," the future we aim for in our corporate philosophy system, into new product development and renewed products, and to increase the consistency and appropriateness of information disseminated both inside and outside the company.

Figure 3