NEWS RELEASE
Award News
January 22, 2024

TOTO Receives Two WorldStar Awards at World Packaging
Organisation's WorldStar 2024 Competition (in 2023)⚫
⚫

Easy installation packaging
Packaging for artificial marble counters with shock absorption function

TOTO LTD. (Headquarters: Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Noriaki Kiyota) has been
awarded two WorldStar Awards at the WorldStar 2024 competition—hosted by the World
Packaging Organisation (WPO)—for its "Easy installation packaging," a cardboard packaging
material for TOTO's wall-hung SMART TOILET “NEOREST WX”, and its "Packaging for
artificial marble counters with shock absorption function," a packaging material for artificial
marble counters used in public toilets and other washroom spaces (available in Japan). TOTO
has received awards at packaging competitions in Japan and other countries since 2000. TheWorldStar award is the 12th award we have received in total.
The World Star Competition is an international packaging competition collecting superior productsthat have received global recognition and attention. Its goal is to develop and ubiquities excellent
packages and packaging technologies while encouraging competition in terms of protectiveness,preservability, usability, environmental friendliness, local adaptability and other features.
TOTO designs packages internally, aiming to achieve high package quality while using fewer
resources. Under the new shared value creation strategy TOTO WILL 2030, which aims to establish
a sustainable society and clean, comfortable and healthy lifestyles by 2030, we will continue topursue appropriate packaging that reduces the amount of resources used and the labor required.

About the award-winning packaging◼

Easy installation packaging"Easy installation packaging" is a packaging material thatassists in the installation of wall-hung SMART TOILET“NEOREST WX”. In facilitate easier installation, thepackaging features an installation assist feature thatmakes it easy to position and fix the toilet bowl in place. It
also has a stable structure that improves compressivestrength.

◼

Packaging for artificial marble counters with shock
absorption function"Packaging for artificial marble counters with shock absorptionfunction" is a packaging material (or "support base") which has
the function of holding and stabilizing Marbright artificial marble
counters used in public toilets and other washroom spaces.
The support base has been improved to improve shock
absorption and suppress shocks to counters duringtransport even more than before.

Inquiries about this press release
Suda, Headquarters Public Relations Group, Public Relations Dept., TOTO LTD. kaho.suda@jp.toto.com｜+81-93-951-2901

Features of easy installation packaging
NEOREST WX is large and heavy, and posed several challenges
due to the characteristic features of its design. (1) The bottom of thetoilet bowl is round and cannot stand independently, and the uppersurface of the toilet bowl is sloped from front to back, so the ceramic
could not be subjected to compressive load during storage. (2) Since
the bottom of the toilet bowl is round and cannot standindependently, it is also necessary to ensure stability duringtransportation. (3) The side of the toilet bowl has a flat shape,
making it difficult to hold during installation. The purpose of thispackaging material design was to solve these problems.

NEOREST WX exterior view

Challenge (1) Measures to improve compressive strength
Due to the characteristics of its shape, the ceramic surface ofNEOREST WX cannot be subjected to compressive loads from thevertical direction. The number of folds in the packaging material at
the front and rear of the product was therefore increased to improvestrength against compressive loads. As a result, compressive
strength has been improved to prevent the box for collapsing.

Challenge (2) Stability and dispersion ofconcentrated stress
Because the toilet bowl has round edges, the shape of the partthat supports the product was designed to improve sideways
toppling for improve stability. (Figure 1)
The part that supports the rear side of the product is formed into
an oblique shape, for a structure that distributes the weight of
the toilet bowl throughout the entire packaging, and avoids
concentration of stress (to prevent the bottom from falling out).
(Figure 2)
In addition, double cross-shaped partitions extended to the endof the bottom edge to support the toilet bowl, creating a structurethat distributes the weight of the toilet as much as possible.
(Figure 3)

Figure 1* Front side of
the productFigure 2* Rear side of
the productFigure 3

Challenge (3) Improving ease of installation
Since there is nowhere for installers to put their hands to lift the toilet
bowl during installation, the packaging also incorporates an installation
assist function that can be used to position the toilet bowl while it is still
mounted on the packaging material. As a result, the mounting positionof the toilet bowl is decided simply by sliding it to the wall. This structure
makes it easy to install even NEOREST WX, which is difficult to lift.

2Features of packaging for artificial marble counters with shock absorption
Counters used in public toilets and other washroom
spaces are heavy and made from brittle materials. Ifexternal shocks are transmitted directly to the counters
during transportation, then even small impacts can easily
cause damage.
To solve this issue, a triangular notch was applied to theconnecting surface of the support base. As a result, there
are no hard parts on the connecting surface, and shocks
can be absorbed by the packaging box.

Before improvement

After improvement

Counter

Support base
Counter

Damage causedby shocks

Support base

Notch

No notch* With a long counter* With a long counter

SoftHard

When the support base is used in a row of 2–5 units,
the cardboard on the connecting surface is hard, anddamage will occur as a result of shocks.

Even when the support base is used in a row of 2–5
units, there is a notch on the connecting surface,offering shock absorption even for longer products.

3

New Shared Value Creation Strategy TOTO WILL2030
Cleanliness and Comfort

The Environment

Relationships

The New Shared Value Creation Strategy, TOTO WILL 2030, will simultaneously realize
environmental, social and economic value. In it, we have established the materiality issues ofcleanliness and comfort, the environment and relationships, that we will work on to integratemanagement and CSR and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).

https://jp.toto.com/company/profile/philosophy/managementplan4