NEWS RELEASE
2024.05.08
Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials Co., Ltd.

Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials Develops
Spunbond Nonwoven Suitable for Home Composting
Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials Co., Ltd. (Tokyo; President: YANASE Koichi) has developed aspunbond nonwoven using a biodegradable plastic suitable for composting in domestic settings. The
move comes in response to increasing global demand for home composting.
Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials intends to establish the production setup for regular andthermoformable grades of this nonwoven before the end of 2024. Applications being eyed cover awide variety of industrial fields, including beverage filters and packaging materials that come into
contact with food, along with agricultural materials.
The newly developed biodegradable plastic’s key feature is its capacity to decompose in a homecomposting environment at a temperature of around 28 degrees Celsius.

Results of a preliminary disintegration test in a home composting environment(28 degrees Celsius)■ Biodegradable plastic
Biodegradable plastic has all the durability of ordinary plastic, but is broken down after use into waterand carbon dioxide via the action of microorganisms found in nature. The material is attracting
increasing attention due to the potential for its widespread use to reduce the environmental impact ofplastic. Different biodegradable plastics are able to break down in compost, soil, water and other suchenvironments, so each biodegradable plastic is categorized according to the specific environment inwhich it decomposes.
■ Home composting
Composting uses the power of fungi and other microorganisms to break down organic waste. Amid
growing awareness of composting as a mechanism for turning kitchen waste, fallen leaves and more
into fertilizer, concern about environmental issues is driving increased interest in the practice,especially in Western countries.

Biodegradable plastic composting includes “industrial composting”, which takes place at hightemperatures in urban waste disposal facilities; and “home composting”, which takes place in ordinary
household settings.
Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials intends to continue developing materials designed with ecofriendliness in mind, and aims to see such materials adopted in as many industries as possible.

■ Development of eco-friendly materials by Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials
Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials offers ECORISE™, a range of environmentally friendly
spunbond nonwovens made primarily from polylactic acid (PLA), a plant-derived biodegradable
plastic. Able to decompose and be composted under industrial composting conditions, ECORISE™
meets standards* laid out by a number of domestic and foreign certification bodies, including the U.S.based BPI, Austrian-based TÜV AUSTRIA (via its certification center in Belgium) and Japanesebased JBPA. This has seen the material receive certifications such as BiodegradablePla andBiomassPla.
The ability to bestow ECORISE™ with diverse properties – including high uniformity, breathability,flexibility and press molding compatibility – has seen it meet with high praise in a wide range ofapplications, from food packaging materials used in tea and coffee filters through to agricultural andindustrial materials.

Reference
ECORISE™ PLA Spunbond Nonwoven Selected for Use in Yonex Tennis Racquet Packaging(Press release dated January 18, 2024)
https://jp.mitsuichemicals.com/en/release/2024/2024_0118_2/index.htm*BPI Certification: A biodegradability certification system managed by the U.S.-based Biodegradable
Products Institute (BPI)
OK compost: A biodegradable plastic certification scheme managed by the Belgian-basedcertification center of Austrian testing, inspection and certification company TÜV AUSTRIA
BiodegradablePla (registration number 1174): A certification scheme managed by the Japan
BioPlastics Association (JBPA)
BiomassPla (registration number 603): A certification scheme managed by the Japan BioPlastics
Association (JBPA)■ Company overview
Established in October 2023 following a joint incorporation-type demerger for the nonwovens
businesses of Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. and Asahi Kasei Corporation, this new JV began business inthe same month, and aims to be a leader in the global nonwovens market as it capitalizes on its
excellent technological strength to respond to social needs.
By combining the technologies and expertise of its two parent companies – which have been
providing unique products since the early 1970s across a wide range of fields spanning hygienematerials through to industrial materials and lifestyle materials – this new JV aims to maximize its
synergies. The company intends to use nonwovens products to offer solutions essential to everyday
life, helping in turn to solve social issues and increase people’s quality of life.
Company

Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials Co., Ltd.

nameAddress

Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, Yaesu Central Tower, 2-2-1 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 1040028
Establishment October 2, 2023
Representative YANASE Koichi
Capital
500 million yen
Shareholders
Mitsui Chemicals: 60.62%
Asahi Kasei: 39.38%
Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials Co., Ltd. homepage――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――For sample requests and inquiries about the home-compostable spunbond nonwoven, pleasecontact:
Industrial Materials Sales Department 2 / Industrial Materials Sales Division
Inquiry form