New Biodegradable Plastic Zipper Made with Mitsubishi Chemical’s BioPBS™ Obtains “OK Compost” Certification

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC; Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masayuki Waga) today announced that a new zipper made with MCC’s compostable and biodegradable polymer BioPBS™ and developed by C.I. Takiron Corporation (C.I. Takiron; Head office: Osaka-shi, Osaka: President: Kazuya Saito) has received “OK Compost” certification from TÜV AUSTRIA, a European certification organization.

While OK Compost certification is often difficult to acquire for zippers and other products that have a thickness to them, C.I. Takiron successfully developed a biodegradable zipper and obtained the certification by combining its many years of expertise in zipper manufacturing with the benefits of BioPBS™.

BioPBS™ is a plant-derived, compostable, and biodegradable polymer developed and patented by MCC and manufactured by PTT MCC Biochem Company Limited, a 50-50 joint venture between MCC and PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited. This is an environmentally friendly polymer, which can decompose into water and carbon dioxide by living microorganisms in the environment. It offers outstanding performance compared with other biodegradable polymers in terms of low-temperature heat sealing properties, heat resistance, and flexibility, among other features.

As society confronts critical issues surrounding plastic waste, there is a growing demand for a shift from non-biodegradable plastic to biodegradable materials in packaging for food and other items. MCC will continue to develop BioPBS™ into a broad array of applications from clothing packaging to food packaging for snacks, coffee beans, dried fruit, and more.

As MCC moves toward fulfilling the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group’s vision of “Realizing KAITEKI,*” itcontinues to accelerate research and development and expand applications for compostable, biodegradable, and plant-derived products, such as BioPBS™, to help enable the circular economy and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

*The Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group’s original concept, which denotes “the sustainable well-being of people, society and our planet Earth.”