Kanematsu Corporation (hereinafter “Kanematsu”) and TBM Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “TBM”) are pleased to announce that the environmentally friendly “LIMEX Aqua Jet Label” has been adopted as Epson-approved printing paper for ColorWorks series business-use color label printers manufactured by Seiko Epson Corporation (hereinafter “Seiko Epson”). This is the first time a label made from LIMEX Sheet base material has been adopted for business-use printers. The label was launched for sale in August 2024 by Epson Sales Japan Corporation. Building on this achievement, Kanematsu and TBM will work toward achieving a sustainable society through efforts to promote further use of this environmentally friendly label in a variety of applications, such as in the chemicals industry and food industry.
■ Background
Amid the progression of global warming due to greenhouse gases, severe marine pollution caused by plastic waste, and other environmental problems, environmental awareness is rising on a societal scale. The need for environmentally friendly adhesive products for stickers and labels is growing as well. Seiko Epson has established Environmental Vision 2050 with the aim of becoming carbon negative and underground resource free by 2050. To realize these goals, the company provides environmentally friendly products created through its environmental impact reduction efforts, such as saving energy in the manufacturing process and products, improving resource efficiency, and eliminating hazardous substances.
■ Features of “LIMEX Aqua Jet Label”
“LIMEX Aqua Jet Label” is an environmentally friendly label that is optimally designed for water-based inkjet printing. Its base material, LIMEX Sheet, enables the reduction of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, along with the use of petroleum-based plastics, compared to synthesized paper such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheets that are typically used for labels. Seiko Epson decided to adopt “LIMEX Aqua Jet Label” as a genuine product following an evaluation of its superior environmental performance and print quality that satisfies Seiko Epson’s standards.
●Compatible models：
| Products Name | Features | Usage | Compatible models |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIMEX | An environmentally friendly material mainly made from limestone instead of plastic. It requires less plastic than labels made using regular films. It has better durability and water-resistance than paper. | Product POP displays, product labels, water-related products, etc. | CW-C8020 series CW-C65/60 series CW-C4020 series |
● Sales format: customized product sales
■ Initiatives of TBM and the Kanematsu Group
TBM is advancing the adoption of its originally developed environmentally friendly material LIMEX both domestically and internationally. TBM’s factory (Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture) that manufactures LIMEX Sheet runs on electricity generated from virtually 100% renewable sources of energy and CO2 emissions free electricity. Through such initiatives, TBM actively works to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions over the entire product life cycle.
The Kanematsu Group has identified “Decarbonization Initiatives” as one of the key issues (materiality) it needs to address. As an initiative to contribute to the reduction of global CO2 emissions, we have been developing and distributing “LIMEX Aqua Jet Label” jointly with TBM since 2022. Furthermore, in terms of climate change mitigation, we aim to become carbon neutral (*1) by 2025 and carbon negative (*2) at minus 1,000,000 t-CO2 by 2050.
（※1）Carbon neutral is a state where the CO2 emissions (Scope 1, 2) of the Kanematsu Group are balanced with the credits generated by Kanematsu and the Kanematsu Group through the forest conservation project and JCM project or avoided emissions.
（※2）Carbon negative is a state where the credits generated by Kanematsu and the Kanematsu Group through the forest conservation project and JCM project or avoided emissions exceed the CO2 emissions (Scope 1, 2) of the Kanematsu Group.
■ What is “LIMEX”？
LIMEX is an inorganic filler-dispersion composite material containing more than 50% (in weight percent) inorganic materials such as calcium carbonate*. It contributes to conserving resources such as oil, water, and forest resources that are used when manufacturing plastic and paper alternatives. LIMEX’s environmental performance is calculated using a method called life cycle assessment (LCA), which involves scientifically analyzing the environmental impact over a product’s life cycle, from the procurement of raw materials, distribution, and use all the way to disposal. The analysis results are then utilized to advance materials development. It has already been adopted by more than 10,000 companies and local governments (including the number of business establishments), with patents registered in over 40 countries worldwide. In addition to being introduced at international conferences such as COP and the G20 Summit, it has also been registered as an outstanding Japanese technology on the Sustainable Technology Dissemination Platform (STePP) run by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
*Defined in the JSA standards issued by the Japanese Standards Association as “inorganic-organic composite materials mainly composed of inorganic substances” (JSA-S1008).
■Corporate profile
Kanematsu Corporation
| Representative | Yoshiya Miyabe, President & CEO |
| Head Office | JP TOWER, 7-2 Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-7017, Japan |
| Establishment | August, 1889 |
| Paid-in Capital | ¥27,781 million |
| Business | A trading company that provides a wide variety of products and services centered around the following five segments: ICT Solution, Electronics & Devices, Food, Meat & Grain, Steel, Materials & Plant, and Motor Vehicles & Aerospace |
| URL | /en |
TBM Co., Ltd.
| Representative | Nobuyoshi Yamasa, CEO |
| Head Office | Toho Hibiya Building 15F, 1-2-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan |
| Establishment | August, 2011 |
| Paid-in Capital | 100 million yen (including capital reserve, 12.035 billion yen) |
| Business | Development of environmentally friendly materials, manufacturing and sales of products, businesses promoting material circulation, etc. |
| URL | https://tb-m.com/eng/ |
*The company names and product/service names that appear in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of the relevant companies.
*The contents of this press release are based on information available at the time of issuance, and are subject to change without prior notice.
【Contacts】
● Kanematsu Corporation/Public Relation Section
Tel： +81-3-6747-5000 /en/inquiry/
● TBM Co., Ltd.
Yuzuru Kikuta, Manager, Public Relations & Marketing Division
Momo Nakatani, Operating Officer, LIMEX Sales Division
［Email］ [email protected]