Yupo Corporation (President and CEO: Hideyuki Fujiwara; Headquarters: Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) has succeeded in developing synthetic paper YUPO blended with biomass-derived resin as a raw material. Starting in fiscal 2018, sales will begin in stages from commercial printing applications, with plans to eventually expand to label applications.

Conventional synthetic paper YUPO was mainly made from polypropylene resin and inorganic filler, but with YUPO GREEN developed at this time, some of the main raw materials derived from fossil fuels have been replaced with biomass-derived resins from plants. It is a new environmentally friendly product that contributes to reducing greenhouse gas (CO₂) emissions.

The biomass resin is derived from plants such as sugarcane. It is a carbon-neutral raw material since atmospheric CO₂ is absorbed as the plants grow through photosynthesis, meaning that the CO₂ emitted during incineration can be regarded as zero. One thick Traditional Japanese "Kiku-ban" size sheet of YUPO GREEN is expected to have an effect equivalent to turning off a fluorescent lamp for one hour, and 250 sheets are expected to have an effect equivalent to a reduction of 1,500 cc of gasoline.

Synthetic paper YUPO was developed in 1969 to conserve forest resources and has been used in a wide range of applications to date. We have been developing more environmentally friendly products while maintaining the same quality performance as before to respond to market needs and customer requests for products that contribute as countermeasures to global warming.

As a leading company in synthetic paper, we will actively promote the development and commercialization of YUPO GREEN as an initiative that is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on the results of this development, we aim to launch YUPO GREEN as a product for commercial printing in FY2018, and by expanding its use to various label applications, we aim to sell 5,000 tons by 2022.

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