Press Release
October 28, 2022
AST Corporation
To members of the press

AST Uses Limestone-based "LIMEX Pellets" (inflation molded grade) for ExteriorFilm of Toilet Paper and Paper Towel- Packages for reducing use of petroleum-based plastic to go on sale from December 2022 AST Corporation (Head office: Chuo-ku, Osaka; President: Hiroyuki Hayashi; "AST") has adopted limestone-based"LIMEX Pellets" (inflation molded grade) developed by TBM Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO:Nobuyoshi Yamasaki; "TBM") for the exterior film of its toilet paper and paper towel products. This marks the first case
LIMEX is used for such products. Products using LIMEX exterior film will gradually be made available around Japan
from December 2022 at drug stores, home improvement stores and other retailers that are taking an active role inaddressing environmental problems.
LIMEX exterior film uses approximately 40% less petroleum-based plastic than conventional PE (polyethylene)
exterior films, resulting in around a 15% reduction in CO 2 and other greenhouse gas emissions throughout the products
entire life cycle, from materials procurement to disposal.*1
According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry statistics, production of toilet paper exceeds a million tons
annually, which is equivalent to some 700 million packs when converted to ordinarily available 12 -roll packs of toilet
paper. As a professional dealing with household paper items, *2 AST focused on reducing the amount of plastic material
used for packing household paper items as an easy way for ordinary consumers to help contribute to addressing
environmental issues. After assessing the environmental benefits of LIMEX, AST was the first in the industry to makeuse of it for packing household paper items.
*1 From LCA (life cycle analysis calculations from material procurement to disposal) conducted by TBM. This may vary depending on manufacturing conditions, and isfor reference purposes only and not a guaranteed value.
*2 Refers to sanitary paper products used at ordinary households, and includes toilet paper, tissue paper, paper towels, and wipes.

<Product image><Packing in use>1

■ Product details
Product name: Happy Style +Sustaina<Toilet paper>
Raw material: 100% recycled paperSize: 107 mm x 2 ply, 50 m roll, 12 rolls
Decoration embossed (print color: purple)
Country of origin: Japan
Sales locations: gradually on sale at retail stores around Japan
Product features:・ Made with FSC-certified paper・ Rolls with double the length of ordinary products, *3 which also
helps reduce CO 2 emissions during transportation.
・ Compact design that takes minimal space and helps reduce thefrequency of replacement during use and purchase intervals.
・ Decorative pattern embossing technology makes it gentle on theskin. *3 In-house comparison
・ Made from limestone-based LIMEX that helps reduce the amountof use of petroleum-based plastic.
<Paper towels>
Raw material: 100% recycled paperSize: 220 mm x 230 mm, 200 sheets
Country of origin: Japan
Sales locations: gradually on sale at retail stores around Japan
Product features:・ Made with FSC-certified paper
・ Made from recycled waste newspaper, with excellent water
absorption and strong, firm texture.
・ Useful for many purpose in addition to wiping hands, like wiping
around wet areas.
・ Made from limestone-based LIMEX that helps reduce the amountof use of petroleum-based plastic.
■ About LIMEX

LIMEX is an inorganic filler-dispersed composite material* containing 50% or more inorganic substances suchas calcium carbonate. It uses limestone as the main raw material, which means LIMEX helps contribute to theconservation of oil, water, forest, and other resources with a high risk of depletion that are used when manufacturing
alternatives to plastic and paper. The environmental impact of LIMEX throughout its entire life cycle—fromprocurement of raw material to production, distribution, usage, and disposal— was assessed scientifically using thelife cycle assessment (LCA) method, with results applied for developing the material.
LIMEX is already being used by more than 8,000 companies, local governments and other organizations, haspatents filed in more than 40 countries around the world, has been exhibited at COP, G20 and other international
conferences, and is registered as an outstanding Japanese technology on UNIDO's (United Nations IndustrialDevelopment Organization) "STePP" Sustainable Technology Promotion Platform.
* Defined as an "Inorganic-organic composite materials mainly composed of inorganic substance (JSA-S1008)" under JSA standards published by
the Japanese Standards Association.

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<Limestone>
The main raw material of LIMEX, limestone, is available in abundance on Earth, and is a self-sufficient resource evenfor Japan as a country which relies on imported resources. Compared to materials like petroleum-based plastics thatare easily affected by fluctuations in oil prices, this raw material can be sourced at stable prices, which ensures stability
with regards to supply. The amount of CO 2 emissions when procuring limestone can also be slashed to 1/50 thcompared to petroleum-based plastics, and CO2 emissions during incineration can also be reduced by around 58%.
<Recycling>
LIMEX can be recycled and used without any separation in the main inorganic material and thermoplastic resin,
ensuring that it can be recycled in the same way as products made with a single type of material. TBM has worked
with business partners, consumers and local governments to develop numerous material recycling initiatives for LIMEX
using existing recycling facilities.
* Do not mix LIMEX Sheet products with recovered used paper. Business-related waste should be disposed of as industrial waste. Householdrelated waste should be disposed of as combustible waste in accordance with the user's local government ordinances.

■ Company information
AST Corporation
https://www.ast-corp.jp/
As a professional dealing with household paper items, AST Corporation operates a broad range of business, fromproduct development, sales support, logistics, and even emergency food-related sectors, to provide products andservices that support people's day-to-day lifestyles. As a specialist distribution intermediary, AST is an industry leader
in contributing to sustainable growth, and plays a key role in implementing social and environmental-oriented initiatives
through its streamlined logistics solutions and developed products. More recently, AST has been supporting WhiteRibbon movements in particular, with part of product sales used to sponsor the operation of "My Safe Community 4H"
initiative. When heavy rains caused flooding disasters in July 2020, AST supplied paper diapers via "JOICFP" relief
efforts to affected mothers and their children in Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, which suffered particularlyextensive damage. Other activities include taking part in eco-cap initiatives, collection of old stamps under the Bellmark
Program, donating its own products to the Japan National Council of Social Welfare, and delivering picture books tochildren.
TBM Co., Ltd.
https://tb-m.com/
Following its mission of "Bridging today and the future we want," TBM is aiming to bring about a "sustainability
revolution" as a company serving as a bridge toward centuries of innovation. To achieve this, TBM develops andmarkets eco-friendly materials and products, and operates businesses that fosters resource recycling. The newlimestone-based material "LIMEX" is an alternative to plastic and paper, and contributes to the conservation of
depleting resources and helps curb greenhouse gas emissions. It has also developed "CirculeX" that is made from
more than 50% recycled material, as part of efforts working with local governments and private companies to develop
a resource recycling model for recovering and reusing waste LIMEX and other waste plastics. TBM ranked fourth in
the Nikkei's 2021 "NEXT Unicorn Survey" with a corporate value of 133.6 billion yen, where it was listed as a unicorncompany.
* Company names, product names and service names included in this release are trademarks or registered t
rademarks of each company.
* Information included in this release is current as of the date of release. Note that this information is subject to change
without notice.

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