RIKEN VITAMIN CO.,LTD. and Puchi Puchi jointly developed a masterbatch using recycled raw materials. Use in some products began in April 2026, and an overview was exhibited at Makuhari Messe at the end of September.
プチプチ株式会社 jointly developed a masterbatch using recycled raw materials with RIKEN VITAMIN CO.,LTD. and began applying it to some products, including the bubble cushioning material "Puchi Puchi." A masterbatch is a modifier in which functional additives are incorporated into plastic at high concentrations, and is used to increase the proportion of recycled materials in products.
The company has already achieved a 98% recycled raw material usage rate in its core Puchi Puchi product. Recycling the masterbatch itself is considered essential to reaching 100%. For RIKEN VITAMIN CO.,LTD., this was also its first initiative to develop a masterbatch using recycled raw materials.
Research and development toward commercialising the masterbatch faced challenges in hygiene and quality stability, but cooperation between the two companies helped resolve them, making it possible to begin using the masterbatch in some products from April 2026. The company plans to continue building a circular recycling system to reduce its environmental impact.
The 17th Highly-functional Material Week, held from 30 September to 2 October 2026, also featured an overview of the project and related products at RIKEN VITAMIN CO.,LTD.'s exhibition booth.