Material Development Business
- About the materials development business
- Surrounding the business
Environment and challenges - Number of hiring companies/local governments
- Global expansion
- Materials intellectual property strategy
- low-carbon material CR LIMEX
- low-carbon material LIMEX
- recycled material
(recycled containers and packaging materials) - Contact
Developing Materials that Address Environmental and Social Challenges
In a market where climate change and plastic waste issues are urgent, this project addresses key challenges for companies: complying with environmental regulations and securing high-quality, stable alternative materials. We offer environmentally conscious materials, such as CR LIMEX (low-carbon material made from captured CO2), CCU calcium carbonate, LIMEX (plastic alternative made from limestone) and PCR recycled materials (a proprietary material with enhanced physical properties). CR LIMEX, which achieves long-term CO2 fixation, is used in construction materials such as interior and exterior materials. Recycled materials and LIMEX are being deployed in industries such as automotive, home appliances, and packaging, where regulations regarding decarbonization and material circulation are in place. Because our materials can be processed using existing molding equipment, it is easy to start using them. The use of limestone, which is abundant worldwide and has a low risk of depletion, enables both stable supply and price stability. Our proprietary technological capabilities ensure the quality required by end users and we provide comprehensive technical support based on our expertise and knowledge of the materials.
Business Environment and Challenges
As climate change becomes more severe, regulations on the use of petroleum-based plastics and laws mandating the use of recycled material in sectors such as automotive and home appliances are advancing worldwide. Companies are now under pressure to cut CO₂ emissions across their entire supply chains. At the same time, the global plastics market continues to grow, and demand for materials that reduce environmental impact is rising across all fields related to materials.
Global Plastics Market Size
Recycled Plastic Market Size in Japan
Meanwhile, many conventional environmentally conscious materials face issues that can become barriers to adoption, such as high cost burdens, weak supply stability, and concerns about material quality. Our materials address these challenges by making full use of their characteristics as limestone based materials. Using limestone that is abundant worldwide, combined with a robust global supply chain, we deliver both stable supply and stable pricing. With a proven track record of adoption by many companies and local governments, our materials are highly regarded for both quality and reliability.
Number of Companies and Local Governments that use our materials
Our materials have already been introduced at international conferences such as COP, G20, and Davos meeting. They have been adopted by over 10,000 companies and local governments worldwide. Furthermore, our LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) analysis of environmental impact reduction effects has been third-party certified by the SuMPO/Internal-PCR Approval System, ensuring a high level of reliability in the results.
Global Expansion
We are building a strong supply chain and distributor network across the globe. With this, we are able to quickly supply products to any region in the world.
IP Strategy
Since obtaining our first patent in Japan in 2014, we have secured more than 250 LIMEX related patents in over 50 countries worldwide and have been recognized with awards such as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Intellectual Property Achievement Award. This intellectual property portfolio creates strong technological barriers to entry and a competitive edge, enabling long term stable supply and continuous improvement, and making our materials a reliable choice for our customers.
- We have obtained patents in
- 52 countries
- We have obtained
- Approximately 250 patents
*Number of patents registered as of October 2025
*Cumulative number including domestic and overseas cases
Low-carbon Material "CR LIMEX"
CR LIMEX is an innovative low-carbon material, developed by chemically synthesizing CO₂ from factory flue gas with calcium-containing waste using CCU technology. As a plastic alternative that uses CO₂-derived CCU calcium carbonate as a raw material, it creates new value in materials. By stably absorbing and fixing CO₂ in the material itself, it helps curb CO₂ emissions and contributes to carbon neutrality. In addition to its environmental value, it offers excellent practical performance, including moldability on existing equipment and durability. We are expanding the use of CR LIMEX for products such as interior and exterior building materials and other construction applications.
How CR LIMEX is Made
Feature
Fixation of CO₂ derived from exhaust gas
The material contains approximately 25%* of CCU calcium carbonate which is chemically synthesized from CO₂ derived from exhaust gases.
Unless it is incinerated at high temperatures, it will fix CO₂ over the long term. Therefore, it is particularly effective in fixing CO₂ in products with long service lives, such as interior building materials and civil engineering materials.
*The CO₂ ratio may change due to future grade additions or changes.
Promoting material circulation through the use of recycled plastics
By using recycled plastic as a secondary raw material to be compounded and kneaded into CCU calcium carbonate, we promote the recycling of plastics. In addition, the calcium source of CCU calcium carbonate is calcium-containing waste, such as factory waste.
Reducing CO₂ emissions and the use of petroleum-based plastics
By replacing petroleum-based plastics with CR LIMEX, CO₂ emissions and the use of petroleum-based plastics can be reduced by approximately 34%*.
*These are approximate values based on estimates and are not guaranteed. The values are subject to change depending on manufacturing conditions, etc. Furthermore, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the amount of petroleum-based plastics used may change due to future additions or changes to grades.
Stable moldability through our unique calcium carbonate control technology
By utilizing the calcium carbonate control technology cultivated through the development of LIMEX, CR LIMEX can also be stably manufactured using existing molding equipment.
Wide Range of Applications for CR LIMEX
CCU calcium carbonate has traditionally been used mainly in concrete, cement, and aggregate. CR LIMEX leverages the high loading, control, and compounding technologies for mineral-derived calcium carbonate developed through LIMEX, making it suitable for high value applications such as interior and exterior building materials and other construction materials.
Sales of CCU Calcium Carbonate as a Raw Material
We also offer CCU calcium carbonate as a raw material, a powder before it is made into CR LIMEX. Drawing on our particle size and morphology control expertise cultivated through LIMEX, which also uses calcium carbonate as a raw material, we have made it a high value raw material whose properties can be tailored to different applications. It has already been put into practical use by building material manufacturers.
Low-carbon Material "LIMEX"
LIMEX is an environmentally conscious material and plastic alternative that contains more than 50 percent inorganic content such as calcium carbonate (limestone). Compared with petroleum-based plastics, it reduces both the use of petroleum-based plastics and CO₂ emissions over the product life cycle. By using abundantly available limestone as a main raw material, LIMEX lowers environmental impact while improving supply stability and price stability. LIMEX is produced at our factories in Japan and through a fabless OEM model with partners in Japan and overseas, can be processed on existing molding and printing equipment, and is now used by more than 10,000 companies and local governments in a wide range of applications such as packaging, bags and printed materials.
Feature
Reducing environmental impact
LIMEX uses limestone as a raw material, making it plastic alternative that reduces the use of petroleum-based plastics and CO₂ emissions throughout the product lifecycle. The amount of reduction can also be visualized through LCA (Life Cycle Assessment).
Price stability and competitiveness
Using limestone which is affordable and abundant as a resource, LIMEX ensures stable supply and price, making it highly price competitive compared to other environmentally conscious materials.
OEM manufacturing available, with a fabless model
LIMEX is compatible with a wide range of molding methods, including extrusion molding, blown-film molding, vacuum forming, and injection molding. It does not require dedicated equipment for production, and because existing molding machines can be used both at our own plants and at partner facilities, OEM production by contract manufacturers is also possible.
Application
Plastic alternative: LIMEX Pellet
These are pellet-form LIMEX compounds that serve as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. They are compatible with a wide range of molding methods, including blown-film molding, extrusion molding, injection molding, and vacuum forming, and are widely used for bags, packaging, and non-woven fabric.
Synthetic paper alternative: LIMEX Sheet
This sheet-form LIMEX is used as an alternative to synthetic paper. In addition to its environmental performance, it offers excellent water resistance and durability. By using existing printing and processing equipment, it is widely applied from printed materials to industrial materials, including backlit film signage, outdoor advertising, and plant tags.
About Limestone
Limestone is one of the few resources that even resource-scarce Japan can almost fully supply domestically, offering high stability in both supply and price. Because it is abundantly available worldwide, it also enables compact supply chains based on local production and local consumption. In addition, compared with polypropylene, a petroleum-based plastic, it can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 83%*1 at the raw material procurement stage and by about 43%*2 at end-of-life incineration, helping to lower environmental impact across the entire product life cycle.*3
*1 Please note that limestone alone does not function as well as PP. Transportation: Assuming transportation of 500 km in a 10-ton truck
*2 Please note that limestone alone does not function in the same way as PP. Disposal method: Assumes incineration as general waste (taking into account incinerator operation and CO₂ generated from materials).
*3 Approximate calculation by TBM. May fluctuate depending on manufacturing conditions, etc. This is a reference value and not a guaranteed value. Main reference database: LCI database IDEA version 3.2.0 (2022/04/15) IDEA Lab, Safety Science Research Department, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology | Impact assessment method: Climate change IPCC 2013 GWP 100a
Recycled Material (recycled containers and packaging materials)
At the Yokosuka circular factory, one of the largest facilities of its kind in Japan, we produce recycled containers and packaging materials made from household plastic containers and packaging waste. Leveraging our in-house R&D and material development capabilities, we have resolved issues traditionally associated with recycled containers and packaging materials, such as odor and deterioration of physical properties. This recycled also offers strength comparable to or greater than PIR (post-industrial recycled plastics) and virgin plastic, allowing customers to use recycled materials without compromising on quality. Furthermore, our material offers stronger price competitiveness than PIR and virgin plastic, as well as excellent environmental performance that helps reduce CO₂ emissions.
Yokosuka Circular Factory
- ・The world's first plant that automatically separates and recycles household-derived general-purpose plastics and LIMEX
- ・Completion in November 2022
- ・Annual processing record of approximately 12,000 tons
Feature
Stable supply guaranteed
With an annual processing capacity of approximately 40,000 tons and an annual production capacity of approximately 24,000 tons of recycled pellets, we will ensure a stable supply of recycled containers and packaging materials.
Providing and developing PCR, not PIR
Container recycled material materials are recycled plastics (PCR) made from plastic containers and packaging discarded from households. Compared to PIR (plastics derived from industrial waste), which has stable quality but is expensive and difficult to procure, container recycling materials have an advantage in terms of price, but they have issues such as odor and deterioration of physical properties. We solve the issues unique to PCR materials using the material development technology and R&D functions we have cultivated through LIMEX. We can also develop formulations tailored to customer product uses.
Strength and cost advantages comparable to or better than PIR and virgin materials
Using our material development technology and proprietary formulation, we have developed recycled containers and packaging materials that are as durable as or more durable than PIR or virgin plastic. It is highly price-competitive with virgin plastic. At the same time, it reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 6.43 kg (equivalent to up to 61%) per kg of container recycling material compared to virgin plastic.
*This is not a guaranteed value. Values may change depending on data acquisition conditions, etc. Cannot be compared with other companies' products due to differences in calculation and data collection methods.
Product Lineup
We operate the recycled material sourcing platform "Maar", which connects companies that use recycled material to manufacture products, such as product and molding manufacturers, with companies that sell recycled material, such as waste plastic generators, recyclers, and compounders, to support recycled material sourcing. For materials other than those listed above, please visit "Maar".
Click here for detailsApplication
General container recycling products
Contact
For any inquiries, please use the contact form below.